Khaberni - The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday evening that Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, the two French nationals who had been detained and were released from a prison in Iran on Tuesday after more than three years, are on "conditional release" and "bail".
The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Baqaee, stated in a release titled "Conditional release of the two French nationals" that "the French citizens, who were jailed on charges related to national security, were released on bail by the judge responsible for the case, and they will be under surveillance until the next legal stage," according to "France Press".
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that Iran had released the French nationals who had been imprisoned there for more than three years, apparently in an exchange deal with an Iranian student who was released on conditions in late October.
Macron added on his account on the "X" app: "Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, who had been detained since 2022, have left Evin Prison and are on their way to the French embassy in Tehran."
Macron continued: "I welcome this first step. The dialogue continues to enable their return to France as soon as possible."
Later, French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Baro affirmed via the "X" app that Kohler and Paris are now "safe" in the French embassy "before their final release".
Kohler and Paris were among dozens of foreigners and dual nationals detained by Iran in recent years, often on charges related to espionage. France stated that the charges against them are baseless.
Their release ended years of negotiations between the two countries about the French citizens detained in Iran, which amounted to seven by 2022.
France has repeatedly accused Iran of arbitrarily detaining its citizens under conditions resembling torture. Tehran has denied these allegations.
The chances of releasing Kohler and Paris increased after France arrested Mahdieh Esfandiari, a student residing in Lyon, earlier this year due to anti-Israeli posts on social media. She was released on conditions in late October.
