Iran releases French tourist held since 2022, Macron says

A French tourist detained by Iranian authorities for more than two years has been released and returned to France, President Emmanuel Macron has said.

Olivier Grondeau, 34, is “free” and with his family, Macron wrote on X on Thursday, adding: “We share his family’s immense happiness and relief.”

Mr Grondeau was arrested in southern Iran in October 2022 and sentenced to five years in prison for “conspiracy against the Islamic republic”. His family have always denied the charges.

The Iranian regime has arrested many tourists and dual nationals in recent years, mostly on spying and national security charges.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted a picture of Mr Grondeau on a plane returning home on Thursday.

“Held hostage in Iran for 887 days, he has been reunited with his family, loved ones, and his country. It’s a huge relief,” he wrote.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his arrest in January, Mr Grondeau said he was being “held hostage” by authorities.

His family have described him as a passionate fan of Persian poetry who had travelled to Iran on a tourist visa as part of a world tour.

Two other French citizens are currently being held in Iran.

Cecile Kohler, a teacher, and her partner, Jacques Paris, were detained in May 2022 and accused of seeking to stir up protests, which their families have denied.

There is growing concern over their health and France has repeatedly lobbied for their release.

“Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris must be freed from Iranian prisons,” Macron said in his post on Thursday.

Human rights groups say tourists and dual nationals are often held for leverage in diplomatic negotiations, released only when Iran gets something in return.

The British Foreign Office confirmed last month that a British couple – Craig and Lindsay Foreman – had been detained.

They have been charged with espionage, with Iranian state media reporting they were being held in the south-eastern city of Kerman.

In January, Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, 29, returned to Rome after spending weeks in an Iranian jail. Reports said she had been held in solitary confinement in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.