Iran has released two French nationals who were detained there for more than three years, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.
Cécile Kohler, 41 and her partner Jacques Paris, 72, have been released from Evin prison, Macron reported on Tuesday. France's foreign minister later confirmed they were safe at the embassy in Tehran ahead of their final release.
I welcome this first step. The dialogue continues to allow for their return to France as quickly as possible, Macron stated.
The pair, who were arrested in May 2022 during a tourist trip, are believed to be the last French nationals held in Iran.
Last month, they were found guilty of spying on behalf of both France and Israel and subsequently handed lengthy prison sentences, according to Iranian state media reports.
A number of Europeans have been held by Iran in recent years. France accused Iran of state hostage-taking, alleging that its nationals were kept in conditions similar to torture, a claim Tehran has denied.
In a statement to the AFP news agency on Tuesday, the couple's legal team based in Paris said that the release of Kohler and Paris had ended their arbitrary detention which lasted 1,277 days. AFP also reported that their families maintained their innocence throughout this ordeal.
Their release follows negotiations that have included discussions regarding a prisoner exchange between France and Iran. Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian woman held in France, was recently released conditionally on charges related to terrorism promotion on social media.
