France has announced that it will file a formal complaint against Iran’s regime at the International Court of Justice in protest over the continued imprisonment of a French couple, Cécile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, who have been detained on espionage charges for the past three years.
France stated that on Friday, May 16, it will submit a formal complaint against Iran’s regime at the International Court of Justice. According to Christophe Lemoine, spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, this move comes in response to the ongoing detention of two French citizens in Iran.
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Cécile Kohler, a 40-year-old literature teacher, and her partner Jacques Paris were arrested on May 7, 2022, during the final day of their tourist trip to Iran.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of “relentless efforts” to secure the release of the two French citizens and referred to them as hostages of Iran. Around two weeks ago, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also stated that the French government would lodge a complaint with the International Court of Justice in protest over the violation of the rights of its two nationals being held by the Iranian regime.
Sanctions Against Iranian Regime’s “Hostage-Taking” Policy
The Iranian regime has accused Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris of “espionage.” Following their arrest, Iran’s state television aired a video in which the couple “confesses” to cooperating with French intelligence services. Paris has firmly denied these claims.
France has accused Iran’s regime of holding the two prisoners under conditions tantamount to torture in Evin Prison and of failing to provide adequate consular support. Iranian officials have denied these allegations.
The Iranian regime takes foreign or dual-national citizens hostage in order to extort concessions from the West, particularly in nuclear negotiations or in efforts to secure the release of its own agents detained in European countries.
Among these “hostages” was another French citizen, Olivier Grondeau, who was released on March 20, 2025, after serving about two and a half years in prison in Iran.
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Grondeau, who was arrested in the fall of 2022 in Iran, said in a voice message addressed to French officials less than two months before his release: “You who have the power to influence this matter, hear this truth. Cécile, Jacques, and I are at our limits. It is your responsibility to ensure the survival of three human beings.”
Grondeau had been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of conspiracy against the Iranian regime.
About four weeks ago, the European Union imposed sanctions on nine judicial and security officials and entities of the Iranian regime in response to what it described as the arbitrary detention of EU citizens and widespread human rights violations in Iran, citing state-sponsored hostage-taking.
Additionally, according to the French foreign minister, France plans to propose further punitive measures and sanctions against Iranian officials at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers.
