France – BFMTV, Nov. 05, 2025
The French President has asked his Iranian counterpart for the “full and unconditional release, as soon as possible” of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who were freed from prison after three years of detention.
On Wednesday, November 5, Emmanuel Macron called on Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian to ensure the “full and unconditional release, as soon as possible,” of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris — the two French nationals who were released from prison on Tuesday after more than three years of detention in Iran, according to a statement from the Élysée Palace.
In a phone conversation, the French President “welcomed their release from prison” but emphasized that it “constitutes only a first step” that must be followed by their “full and unconditional release,” his office said.
“Very relieved”
Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris — the two French nationals whom Paris had described as “state hostages” — are spending their first hours of semi-freedom at the French Embassy on Wednesday, awaiting permission to leave the Islamic Republic. Their departure date remains unknown, as Iran appears to be linking it to the case of an Iranian citizen being prosecuted in France.
“I found them both very happy, very relieved by this release,” said France’s ambassador to Tehran, Pierre Cochard, speaking Wednesday morning on the public radio station France Inter. He had gone to pick them up Tuesday at the notorious Evin Prison.
French President Emmanuel Macron held a videoconference with the two former prisoners Wednesday morning. “It was a very emotional moment for them and for the President. They thanked him for his commitment” to securing their release, the ambassador also told RTL radio.
