On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the head of state repeated to Massoud Pezeshkian that this was a “prerequisite for any improvement in bilateral relations with France.”
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Emmanuel Macron has urged Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian to release “without delay” the three French nationals “arbitrarily held hostage in Iranian prisons for two years”deploring their conditions of detention “unworthy”The two men spoke during a meeting on Tuesday evening, September 24, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The head of state reiterated that this release was a “a prerequisite for any improvement in bilateral relations with France.”
Accused of being spies, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were arrested in May 2022, as was a man named Olivier, whose last name has not been made public. French diplomacy describes these prisoners as“state hostages”.
Iran is accused of arresting Westerners without cause and using them as bargaining chips in state-to-state negotiations. Last year, Tehran released two French nationals, Benjamin Brière and Bernard Phelan, who also has Irish nationality. In June, Louis Arnaud was released.
Furthermore, Emmanuel Macron called on his Iranian counterpart to “support a general de-escalation” in the Middle East. “The President of the Republic stressed Iran’s responsibility to support a general de-escalation and to use its influence in this regard with the destabilizing actors who receive its support to move towards a ceasefire in Gaza and a cessation of hostilities,” specified the Elysée. Emmanuel Macron and Massoud Pezeshkian also discussed the Iranian nuclear program.