Overview

• Three French citizens, Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris, and Olivier Grondeau, have been detained in Iran since 2022 on accusations of espionage.
• Relatives testified before the French Senate's Foreign Affairs Commission, highlighting the harsh conditions and psychological abuse faced by the detainees.
• Jacques Paris, 71, is reportedly enduring severe isolation in Evin Prison's 'Section 209,' with limited resources and deteriorating health.
• Families expressed despair over the lack of progress in negotiations, describing the detentions as part of Iran's 'hostage diplomacy' strategy.
• A former French detainee, released in 2024, has called for a unified European response to address Iran's use of state-sanctioned hostage-taking.