Overview
- President Emmanuel Macron announced the pair’s exit from Evin, and they are now at the French ambassador’s residence where officials say they are in safety and in good health.
- France’s foreign minister said there is no certainty on the timing of a definitive release, as Paris continues efforts to secure their return to France.
- Iran’s foreign ministry stated the two were released on bail and placed under surveillance, underscoring that their legal process is not concluded.
- Kohler and Paris were arrested in May 2022, convicted in mid‑October of espionage with sentences of 20 and 17 years, and endured harsh conditions in Evin’s section 209.
- Talks have referenced a potential linkage to the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari, who is under judicial control in France, with Iran’s top diplomat saying she is now at Iran’s embassy in Paris and expressing hope she returns after her January trial.