French Tourist Louis Arnaud Sentenced to Five Years in Iranian Prison, France Calls Conviction 'Unacceptable'

Arnaud, accused of anti-government propaganda after being arrested last year, maintains his innocence and plans to appeal the charges, while France and human rights groups decry his imprisonment and the conditions at Tehran's Evin prison as part of Iran's alleged political hostage-taking strategy.

French tourist Louis Arnaud, a banking consultant, was sentenced to five years imprisonment in Iran based on national security charges. He was arrested in September 2022 and was accused of participating in anti-government protests and contributing to anti-government propaganda. He has been detained at the Evin prison in Tehran since his arrest.
Arnaud's family reiterates his innocence and asserts that he actively avoided the protests that occurred in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. They describe the guilty verdict as "an attack on human rights and individual freedoms" and have stated Arnaud never acted with political intentions or carelessness.
The French government has declared the conviction as 'unacceptable', citing the lack of evidence and Arnaud's lack of access to a lawyer. They have demanded his immediate release along with other French nationals detained in Iran.
Western governments and rights groups accuse Iran of detaining foreigners and dual nationals on spurious grounds to be used as bargaining chips. In recent years, Iran's Revolutionary Guards have detained several dual nationals and foreigners on charges mostly related to espionage and security.
Arnaud's detention is part of a broader issue surrounding the Evin prison in Tehran, which has been criticized for its dehumanizing conditions. Reports from organizations like Human Rights Watch suggest that detainees at the prison are subject to threats of torture, indefinite imprisonment, lengthy interrogations, and denial of medical care.