A French tourist detained by Iranian authorities for more than two years has been released and returned to France, President Emmanuel Macron has said. <\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Iranian regime has arrested many tourists and dual nationals in recent years, mostly on spying and national security charges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted a picture of Mr Grondeau on a plane returning home on Thursday. <\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Speaking publicly for the first time since his arrest in January, Mr Grondeau said he was being “held hostage” by authorities. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Two other French citizens are currently being held in Iran. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
There is growing concern over their health and France has repeatedly lobbied for their release.<\/p>\n
“Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris must be freed from Iranian prisons,” Macron said in his post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Human rights groups say tourists and dual nationals are often held for leverage in diplomatic negotiations, released only when Iran gets something in return.<\/p>\n
The British Foreign Office confirmed last month that a British couple – Craig and Lindsay Foreman – had been detained. <\/p>\n
They have been charged with espionage, with Iranian state media reporting they were being held in the south-eastern city of Kerman. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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