Iran: behind the scenes of the release of Benjamin Brière and Bernard Phelan

William Moliné and Thibaud Hue, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: HANDOUT / SAEID DEHGHAN'S TWITTER ACCOUNT / FAMILY HANDOUT / AFP 20:29 pm, May 12, 2023

Freedom for two Frenchmen detained in Iran. Benjamin Brière, 37, who has always presented himself as a tourist, had been arrested for taking photos with a drone in a natural park. For this, he spent three years in prison. The second, Bernard Phelan, is a 64-year-old Franco-Irishman. A tourism consultant, he was imprisoned for seven and a half months. Accused of espionage, the two men are very weakened after several hunger strikes.

Iran has called for maximalist guarantees

In order to obtain their return to France, the process has accelerated and everything was unraveled three weeks ago. Paris has obtained the agreement in principle of Iranian diplomacy to release the two imprisoned Frenchmen. In exchange, Tehran demanded maximalist guarantees, reports a source close to the negotiations. According to information from Europe 1, the regime presented French negotiators with a list of Iranian nationals detained in European prisons, asking Paris to weigh in with its partners to obtain their release. The Élysée has been involved in the case by directly supervising the crisis unit of the Quai d'Orsay.

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The first steps had been laid from Beijing in early April, when Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna met with her Iranian counterpart. Several Gulf countries have also returned to the dance, a step described as decisive by a connoisseur of the file. In the shadows, the foreign intelligence services continue their exchanges. Because the France is especially concerned about the cases of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, arrested on May 7, 2022, and Louis Arnaud, who also came as a tourist. A fourth Frenchman is detained, but his identity has never been made public.

Relief

This release has reacted the French political class, such as Emmanuel Macron who expressed his relief or Elisabeth Borne who evoked a "good news". This news is also a relief for Benjamin Brière's lawyer, Philippe Valent. For him, this was paramount, because his client's state of health was becoming critical. "First, there is a moment when you wonder if it is true, because you have already had this hope and it becomes an absolutely immense relief," he acknowledges. For him, this liberation is almost unexpected. "It was imperative, since we were more than 100 days on hunger strike, so with a vital prognosis that became engaged. Benjamin's integrity became extremely worrying," said the lawyer, who said his client was ready to go to the end of his action.

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In addition, Catherine Colonna recalled the determination of the France so that the other French, still held in Iran, also find freedom quickly.