The French Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, detained in Iran for over three years, are charged with“Espionage for mossad”the Israeli external intelligence service, “Plot to overthrow the diet” et “Corruption on earth”a Western diplomatic source and the entourage of prisoners told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“We were informed of these accusations”said the Western diplomatic source, adding that these accusations were “Unpaid”.
“All we know is that they saw a judge who confirmed these three charges”said Cécile Kohler’s sister. “We don’t know when [ils se sont vus notifier ces chefs d’inculpation]. But they still do not have access to independent lawyers ”she added during an interview with AFP in the aftermath of a consular visit to the French Embassy Officer in Tehran.
Each of these three charges is liable to the death penalty.
Visit of a French diplomat
Until now, Iran has said that the two French people were accused of spying but it has never revealed for what country precisely. Tehran has not yet confirmed if new accusations had been brought against them.
“These charges of indictment, if confirmed, are completely unfounded”reacted a French diplomatic source questioned by AFP. “Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are innocent. No sentence was communicated to us and to our knowledge has been pronounced ”she added, urging the Iranian authorities to authorize Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris to have access to their lawyers.
“We have continued to demand their immediate and unconditional release since their arrest over three years ago”said the spokesperson for the Quai d’Orsay, adding that President Emmanuel Macron and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, had “Reiterate this requirement from their Iranian counterparts on several occasions and again in recent days”.
On Tuesday, Jean-Noël Barrot announced that Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, of which we have been without news since the recent Israeli strike on their prison, had visited a French diplomat.
“A proof of life immediately”
Families and lawyers for the couple had claimed on Friday “A proof of life immediately”. “We do not know everything about the fate of Cécile and Jacques, we do not know if they are still alive, we do not know where they are”then alerted Cécile’s sister, Noémie Kohler.
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The French authorities had said the previous week to have “Had insurance” that the two French people had not been injured in the Israeli strike. But “This information comes from the Iranian authorities”which is “Far from being a guarantee”had alerted Noémie Kohler, whose last telephone contact with her sister dates back to May 28.
Cécile Kohler, professor of 40 -year -old letters from eastern France, and her companion Jacques Paris, 72, were arrested on May 7, 2022, on the last day of a tourist trip to Iran.
