On Saturday, February 1, a demonstration was held in Paris in front of the Panthéon, the mausoleum of French luminaries, in support of six French hostages who are being detained by the Iranian regime.
Louis Arnaud, a former French hostage who was released on June 12, 2024, after two years in Iranian regime custody, spoke at the demonstration about his experiences in the Iranian regime’s prisons and his time sharing a cell with political prisoner Behrouz Ehsani, who has been sentenced to death. He said: “I saw people imprisoned and shackled. People who were taken to the gallows to create fear and silence consciences. Today, it is the turn of Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani, who are at risk of execution. I met Behrouz in Ward 209. At that time, he was my only friend, but above all, he was a rare example of integrity, courage, and honor. He never lowered his head. (He told them): ‘Aren’t you ashamed? It’s easy to play the oppressor when you have someone in your grasp, but with this behavior, you disgrace all of humanity.’
“Before they took him away, Behrouz declared: ‘I have never bargained over my life with anyone, and I am ready to sacrifice my small existence for the freedom of the Iranian people.’ Let us hear this lesson in courage and together demand the annulment of this criminal sentence.
“How many more must die or have their lives destroyed for their beliefs? I call on Europe to unite against these inhumane acts and no longer allow itself to be taken hostage.”
Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani were transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison last week for the execution of their death sentences. However, under international pressure, the Iranian regime has temporarily refrained from carrying out the executions. They are supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) who have been sentenced to death.
