France plans to file a complaint with the UN International Court of Justice against Iran, which continues to hold two French citizens captive, the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said on Thursday.
The two French citizens in question are Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been imprisoned in Iran since May 2022. Their conditions of detention, according to Lemoine, are comparable to torture.
“This situation is unacceptable and, as France has repeatedly stated, contrary to international law,” the French Foreign Ministry spokesman stressed.
France accuses Iran of violating the right to consular protection of its citizens. The diplomat said that Paris would appeal to the UN International Court of Justice in the near future.
Lemoine assured that the French government would continue to put pressure on the Tehran authorities until the detainees were released.
In May 2023, Iran released two of the six detained French citizens. In the summer of 2024, another French citizen was released. All French citizens were detained on charges of espionage and undermining national security. Among them was French citizen Olivier Grondeau, who had been held captive for more than two years on charges of espionage. He was released and returned to his homeland.
Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are currently in Iran, also accused of espionage by the Iranian authorities.
In April, media reported that Paris was preparing a lawsuit against Iran, which would be filed with the International Criminal Court. This measure is planned in response to the violation of the rights of two French citizens.
