Tehran vigorously denounced, Sunday, December 29, an attempt to intervene in Paris in the case of the Franco-Iranian Fariba Adelkhah.

Friday, French Foreign Affairs summoned the Iranian ambassador to Paris to denounce the "intolerable" detention of the Franco-Iranian anthropologist, imprisoned in Iran on charges of "espionage", as well as that of the French researcher Roland Marchal.

In a press release, France notably expressed its "extreme concern" over the situation of the researcher "who has stopped eating, and reiterated (his) request for consular access".

Iran, which is also experiencing strong tensions with several European countries, including France, on the nuclear issue, does not recognize dual nationality.

"The French Foreign Ministry press release on an Iranian national is an act of interference," said Iranian Foreign Affairs spokesman Abbas Moussavi in ​​a statement. "We consider this request as having no legal basis".

"The person in question (...) was arrested for acts of espionage," he added, adding that the researcher's lawyer had been informed of the details of the file.

"Psychological torture"

Abbas Moussavi also said that Roland Marchal was detained for "plotting against national security". His consulate had been able to access him "on numerous occasions," he said, adding that his lawyer was in contact with the justice system.

Fariba Adelkhah, an anthropologist specializing in Shiism, and Roland Marchal, a specialist in the Horn of Africa, both members of the Center for International Research (CERI) at Sciences-Po Paris, have been detained in Iran since last June.

According to CERI, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian academic detained with Fariba Adelkhah, has also started a hunger strike. They also started a thirst strike, according to other sources, including the French daily Le Monde.

The two researchers are accused of "spying".

The researcher at @CERI_SciencesPo Fariba #Adelkhah starts a hunger strike. She has been detained in #Iran for "spying" for 7 months.
"She has stopped eating, she is the victim of psychological torture" @m_debos @ France24_fr pic.twitter.com/evvoEyCqyQ

- Julien Fanciulli (@julienfanciulli) December 27, 2019


In an open letter to the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), the two female academics said they had been subjected to "psychological torture" and "numerous violations of (their) human rights fundamentals ".

Calling Iranian accusations against the two French academics "grotesque", some of their colleagues called on France in October to suspend all scientific and university cooperation with Tehran in protest.

With AFP

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