French researcher Roland Marchal was arrested in June in Iran, along with his French-Iranian colleague Fariba Adelkhah, said Wednesday the Fund for Analysis of Political Societies (Fasapo). In an open letter, the association, to which belong the two researchers of the Sciences Po Paris University, indicates that it had accepted, at the request of the French authorities, to remain silent on this arrest, until it is revealed Tuesday night by the French daily Le Figaro .
Tehran denounces "unacceptable interference"
"This discretion seemed preferable to the French authorities who had immediately committed, at the highest level, to obtain the release of our colleagues as soon as we reported their disappearance on June 25, but wished to avoid any nationalist bidding in Tehran", adds the association. "It also seemed to us in light of the experiences of foreign colleagues who found themselves in the same situation, who pointed out how" Western "media mobilization was either useless or worse, counter-productive," the open letter continues.
The arrest of Ms. Adelkhah, an anthropologist specialized in Shia Islam and research director at the International Research Center (CERI) of Sciences Po Paris, was confirmed by Tehran on 16 July. The Iranian authorities, who do not recognize dual nationality, denounced on October 4 as an "unacceptable interference" a request from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on his case. The reasons for his detention have not been made public so far.
A spokesman for the ministry said Paris had "repeated several times his request for consular access for Ms. Adelkhah, and his release." France continues its efforts "to obtain clarification on the reasons for his arrest," he said, deeming it "indispensable and urgent that the Iranian authorities be transparent on this issue as on all cases of foreign nationals arrested in Iran ". Paris also called for the end "without delay" of this "unacceptable situation"