A French diplomatic source confirmed that a young French tourist disappeared while cycling through Iran and described the matter as “a cause for concern.” Prior to this, announcements had been shared on social media to help locate the individual.
The young Frenchman, named Lennart Monterlos, has not contacted his family since June 16, 2024.
The unnamed French diplomatic source, speaking to AFP (Agence France-Presse), called Monterlos’s disappearance “worrying” and said, “We are in contact with the family about this.”
The source emphasized that French citizens are advised against traveling to Iran, as the Iranian regime has adopted a “deliberate policy of taking Westerners hostage.”
According to a post on Instagram, Monterlos is 18 years old and holds both French and German citizenship.
Iranian Authorities Transfer Detained French Couple to Undisclosed Location
The news of this tourist’s disappearance comes at a time when concerns have grown over the situation of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two other French nationals currently imprisoned in Iran.
They face charges including “espionage for Mossad,” allegations that could lead to the death penalty.
Unfinished journey by bicycle
On his Instagram page, Monterlos described himself as a “lover of rock climbing and cycling.”
In a post from June 2024, he announced that he was preparing for a one-year cycling journey across Eurasia—a dream he aimed to fulfill before starting university.
Lennart had planned a 400-day route covering 35,000 kilometers through 35 countries.
A knowledgeable source told AFP they could not confirm whether this young Frenchman was among European citizens detained in Iran on charges of “espionage” for Israel.
The source added that the Iranian regime “targets French nationals passing through [Iran], accuses them of espionage, and holds them in inhumane conditions—some of which, under international law, qualify as torture.”
The source warned that any French citizens currently in Iran should leave the country as soon as possible due to the risk of arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.
Iranian regime officials have previously arbitrarily detained and imprisoned numerous foreign and dual nationals.
France and other European Union member states have described these detentions as politically motivated and part of the Iranian regime’s hostage diplomacy. This policy is used to exert pressure on the West and extract concessions from it.
