French visitors to Iran urged to leave the country “as soon as possible”
View of Tehran, Iran.
© DR
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
French people "
passing through Iran are invited to leave the country as soon as possible given the risks of arbitrary detention to which they expose themselves
", alerted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, October 7 in an update of the advice to travelers on its site.
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"
Any French visitor, including binationals, is exposed to a high risk of arrest, arbitrary detention and unfair trial
", indicates the ministry on its website, specifying that "
this risk also concerns people making a simple visit .
tourism
", and that "
in the event of arrest or detention, respect for fundamental rights and the safety of persons are not guaranteed
".
This update comes after the broadcast on official Iranian television
of the "
confessions
" of two French nationals arrested last May and accused of espionage
.
A
video
described as "
unworthy and revolting staging
" by the Quai d'Orsay, which called for the "
immediate release
" of the two Frenchmen, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris.
►
To read also: Dissemination of "confessions" of espionage by two French people arrested in Iran: "the process is despicable"
Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, members of a teachers' union, were arrested in May 2022, when Iran was the scene of demonstrations by teachers demanding reforms for an increase in their salaries and calling for the release of colleagues arrested during previous mobilizations.
"
The ability of the French Embassy in Tehran to provide consular protection for nationals arrested or detained in Iran is very constrained
", further warns the site of the French ministry, which had already classified
the whole of Iranian territory as "
red
". because of the situation in this country since the death on September 16 of Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested by the morality police.
A hundred people were killed in the protest - still ongoing - which followed the death of the young woman, according to NGOs.
In addition to Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two other Frenchmen are detained in Iran, a country accused of practicing hostage diplomacy to negotiate to its advantage on the international scene.
(With
AFP
)
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