Overview

• Olivier Grondeau, a French citizen detained in Iran since October 2022, has been released and is now back in France undergoing medical evaluations.
• Grondeau was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of 'conspiracy against the Islamic Republic,' which he and his family denied, citing his visit as a tourist trip.
• His detention occurred during political unrest in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman whose death in custody sparked widespread protests.
• France continues diplomatic efforts to secure the release of two other French citizens, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who remain imprisoned in Iran on charges their families dispute.
• Iran has not publicly acknowledged Grondeau's release, which coincided with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, a time when prisoner releases have occurred in the past.