Overview

• Iran’s judiciary said Tuesday that Cécile Kohler received 20 years and Jacques Paris 17 years on espionage and national‑security charges, including for French and Israeli intelligence.
• After an eight‑minute, closely monitored video call, relatives said the detainees are exhausted and warned their survival is at risk, quoting them as unable to endure even a few more weeks.
• The French Foreign Ministry denounced the convictions as arbitrary, demanded immediate release, and cited full state mobilization, noting a seventh consular visit took place on October 14.
• Families and lawyers reported a rupture of trust after France withdrew its ICJ case on September 25 and said they still do not know the pair’s detention location following a June transfer.
• Iranian officials previously described a prisoner‑exchange negotiation as in a final phase involving Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari, though lawyers caution this could be manipulation and not a concrete path to release.