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Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
French cyclist, 18, vanishes on trip through Iran and hasn't been heard from in weeks
A French teenager embarking on a 400-day cycling trip across Europe and Asia has been missing in Iran since June 16, according to his friends. Posts shared on Instagram identified the missing person as 18-year-old Lennart Monterlos, who allegedly also holds German nationality. The teen could be one of approximately 20 Europeans taken hostage by Iran or falsely accused of spying for Israel, a French diplomatic source said. 'This disappearance is worrying. We are in contact with the family about this,' the source said. French nationals are advised not to travel to Iran, as Tehran is implementing 'a deliberate policy of taking Western hostages', the source added. The source was unable to confirm if the young Frenchman was among the Europeans recently arrested in Iran on charges of spying for Israel. The missing person alert was shared by friends on social media as they sought to track down missing Lennart. Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals, many of whose cases have never been publicised, in what some Western governments including France describe as a strategy of hostage-taking aimed at extracting concessions from the West. Three other Europeans, who have not been identified, have also been arrested in the wake of the recent conflict, two of whom are accused of spying for Israel, according to authorities. Two French nationals Cecile Kohler, 40, and Jacques Paris, her 72-year-old partner, have been held in Iran since May 2022 on charges of espionage that their families deny. Iran is 'targeting French nationals passing through the country, accusing them of espionage and detaining them in appalling conditions - some of which fall under the definition of torture under international law,' the source said. Iran earlier this week charged the pair with spying for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, as well as 'corruption of Earth' and 'plotting to overthrow the regime', diplomatic and family sources said on Wednesday. Tehran has not confirmed the new charges, all three of which carry the death penalty. On Sunday, Iran's IRNA news agency claimed a phone call had taken place between French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Iran International reported. IRNA said that the two men discussed 'consular affairs and regional developments', although it is not known if the cases of Lennart Monterlos, Cécile Kohler, or Jacques Paris were directly broached. In a post on Instagram in June 2024, Lennart said he was 'planning a year-long cycling tour across Europe and Asia before starting my studies' Iran, which is lead by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei (pictured), earlier this week charged Kohler and Paris with spying for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, as well as 'corruption of Earth' and 'plotting to overthrow the regime' The ambitious 35,000km bike ride was intended to take in 35 separate countries over 400 days. On the fundraiser for his trip, Lennart wrote that he had already cycled alone from Besancon in eastern France to Amsterdam, an 800km journey. The youngster described the trip as being guided by a desire 'to get out of my comfort zone' and 'distance myself, if only for a moment, from a life of overconsumption.' The young Frenchman had raised 2,362 euros towards his round-the-world bike trip, which he estimated would cost a minimum of 10,000 euros.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
French foreign minister denounces spy charges against couple imprisoned in Iran
France's foreign minister denounced spy charges reportedly being used to hold two French nationals in Iran for more than three years, saying the allegations are 'unjustified and unfounded." French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Thursday said France had not been formerly notified by Iranian authorities of the charges against French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, which reportedly include spying for Israel. If confirmed, France would consider the charges 'totally unjustified and unfounded,' Barrot said, calling for the couple's 'immediate, unconditional release.' Kohler, 40, and her partner Paris, 72, were arrested in May 2022 and until last month were detained at Tehran 's Evin Prison, known for holding dual nationals and Westerners who are used by Iran as bargaining chips in diplomatic negotiations. A French diplomat was able to meet the pair earlier this week as their families demanded proof they were alive following recent Israeli strikes on the prison. Kohler's sister, Noemie Kohler, said in an interview broadcast Thursday on BFM TV that the couple were told they had been charged with spying for Israel, conspiracy to overthrow the Iranian regime and 'corruption on Earth.' 'Our understanding … is that they face death penalty,' she said. 'We're really extremely worried about their psychological state and the trauma of the bombings.' The visit by the French diplomat took place at a prison south of Tehran but, like some other prisoners, Kohler and Paris were transferred from Evin following the Israeli strikes and their location is unknown, Noemie Kohler said.
