France Protests Detention of Nationals in Iran

A German-Iranian woman, Nahid Taghavi, has returned to Germany after being imprisoned in Iran for over four years, highlighting ongoing concerns about the treatment of detainees in the country. Meanwhile, Olivier Grondeau, a French national held in Iran since October 2022, publicly revealed his identity in an audio message, describing his detention as unbearable and a case of political blackmail. Grondeau was sentenced to five years on charges of espionage, while two other French detainees, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, are accused of inciting labor protests. The French government has demanded their immediate release, labeling their conditions as intolerable, with some aspects constituting torture. This situation comes in the wake of the recent release of an Italian journalist, which has intensified scrutiny of Iran's use of detainees as bargaining chips in international relations.