A French couple, who had been held in an Iranian prison for over three years on charges of espionage, are now en route to their home country. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed their departure.
The individuals, identified as Cécile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, were apprehended during a tourist visit in May 2022. French authorities maintained that the spying charges were unfounded. They were subsequently detained in Tehran’s Evin prison, a facility known for its harsh conditions.
Following their release in November, the couple had been under house arrest at the French embassy within the Iranian capital. “This represents a significant relief for all of us, and particularly for their families,” Macron stated on the social media platform X on Tuesday.
Macron also extended his gratitude to Oman for its role in mediating the situation. A source from the French foreign ministry informed the AFP news agency that the couple departed Iran at dawn on Tuesday. They traveled in a diplomatic convoy accompanied by the French ambassador, making their way to neighboring Azerbaijan.
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, refrained from providing specific details about the couple’s journey. However, he conveyed that they were “free at last” and that he had spoken with them by telephone. “They shared with me their emotions and their joy at the prospect of soon being reunited with their country and their loved ones,” Barrot wrote on X.
Anne-Laure Paris, Jacques Paris’s daughter, spoke to AFP, expressing the family’s anticipation for their return. “We are waiting for them to get back to France so we can give them a big hug,” she said.
Earlier, in October, an Iranian court had handed down sentences to the couple. Paris was sentenced to 17 years and Kohler to 20 years for alleged spying activities on behalf of France and Israel. This development followed their release, which Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated was part of a potential deal. This proposed agreement involved the exchange of French detainees for an Iranian woman, Mahdieh Esfandiari.
At the time, Iran suggested that Kohler and Paris could be freed under this arrangement. However, the French government did not confirm the existence of such a specific agreement. Mahdieh Esfandiari had been convicted in February for purportedly glorifying terrorism through her social media posts. Iranian authorities had consistently claimed she was unjustly detained since her arrest in France in February 2025.
Esfandiari’s lawyer informed AFP on Tuesday that her client’s house arrest in France had concluded concurrently with Kohler and Paris being permitted to leave Iran. The Iranian state news agency, IRNA, reported that the release of Kohler and Paris was indeed part of a broader agreement between France and Iran. This accord, according to IRNA, also encompassed the complete release of Esfandiari.
The French government has not offered official comments on the specifics of the agreement. Nevertheless, Minister Barrot alluded to the “long-term work” undertaken by foreign ministry teams to “achieve this result.” He added, “We are grateful to our ambassador and staff in Tehran who, under exceptionally challenging circumstances, ensured the safety of our citizens and their secure departure from Iran.”
The release of the two French nationals occurs amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This regional war began in late February following extensive strikes by the United States and Israel targeting Iran. Tehran has retaliated with attacks against Israel and US-allied nations in the Gulf. The hostilities have rapidly escalated, extending to Lebanon, with significant casualties and damage reported on all sides. France, alongside other European countries, has supported certain US operations in the region but has thus far avoided direct involvement in the conflict.