France says Iran sanctions relief depends on release of detained citizens

France says Iran's future ties and sanctions relief depend on the release of three French citizens detained in the country, with some held in conditions resembling torture.

"The situation of our compatriots held hostage in Iran is simply unacceptable; they have been unjustly detained for several years, in undignified conditions that, for some, fall within the definition of torture under international law," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday.

He added, "I say to the Iranian authorities: our hostages must be released. Our bilateral relations and the future of sanctions depend on it."

Rights groups say three French citizens—Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris, and Louis Arnaud—have been arbitrarily imprisoned without due process, with Kohler and Paris held for over two years.

Arnaud, a banking consultant, was sentenced to five years in prison by an Iranian court in November 2023.

Kohler, a teacher of contemporary French literature, was arbitrarily detained along with her partner Paris during a trip to Iran on charges of “espionage.”

Both Paris and Kohler were subject to inhumane detention conditions including forced false confessions on state TV.