The French government has confirmed that one of its citizens, Olivier Grondeau, who had been held in Iran for more than two years over spying accusations, regained his freedom this week. Following this development, French authorities issued a strong warning to their citizens to stay away from Iran.
France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, had previously condemned the imprisonment of Mr. Grondeau and two other French nationals, describing it as both arbitrary and shameful.
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According to France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, Mr. Grondeau’s release brought great relief. He mentioned during a press appearance on Thursday that persistent diplomatic efforts played a major role, although the exact method used to achieve this outcome was not explained.
Accusations have often been made by Western governments that Iran uses the detention of foreigners as a tool to gain leverage in negotiations. These strategies reportedly help Iran push for the release of its own nationals held abroad or to access financial assets frozen overseas.
One such case occurred in January when Iran freed an Italian journalist shortly after an Iranian engineer detained in Italy on behalf of the U.S. was released. In 2020, France was also able to bring home a detained academic after a prisoner trade.
No Deal Made for Grondeau’s Release, Says France
French officials clarified on Thursday that there was no transaction or exchange made in return for freeing Mr. Grondeau. Christophe Lemoine, speaking for France’s foreign ministry during a press conference, said the outcome was achieved through firm diplomatic pressure applied to Iran.
Mr. Barrot, while speaking to TF1, explained that earlier talks with his Iranian counterpart concerning Mr. Grondeau had been halted due to lack of progress. He added that France had managed to succeed through other efforts, though he did not go into specifics about the strategies used.
Back in October 2022, Mr. Grondeau entered Iran using a tourist visa, which led to his arrest. By February the following year, he was convicted and sentenced to a five-year jail term under accusations of espionage. Both Mr. Grondeau and French authorities firmly rejected the spying charges.
In January, a radio station in France released an audio clip believed to be recorded by Mr. Grondeau from his cell in Tehran. In the message, he described the condition of his detention and claimed that he and others were being used as political pawns in matters that had nothing to do with them, leaving them helpless.
Concerns About Conditions and Psychological Health
A support group set up to campaign for Mr. Grondeau’s release warned that his mental health was deteriorating seriously. They said the conditions in prison were wearing him down daily, with visible impact on his psychological stability.
Two more French nationals, identified as Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, have also been held in Iranian custody under similar spying charges. They have now spent nearly three years behind bars.
Mr. Barrot said on Thursday that their detention conditions were so severe that he compared them to torture. He also emphasized that France would not rest until all its citizens still being held were brought home.
During the same press briefing, Mr. Lemoine shared that another French person, who had been under house arrest in Tehran for close to four months, was also allowed to leave Iran this week. He, however, did not give further details about that case.
Travel Warning Issued by French Authorities
A strong advisory has now been issued to all French nationals. Mr. Lemoine stated that French citizens should completely avoid visiting Iran. According to him, anyone with French or European citizenship could face arrest without reason, simply based on their nationality.
“They are at immediate risk of being detained or imprisoned even if there is no clear reason, just because they are French or European,” he warned.
