France – Elle, July 11, 2025
Noémie Kohler, who has been campaigning for three years for the release of her sister Cécile—detained in Iran with her partner Jacques Paris—addresses her with these words:
“My beloved big sister,
A few days ago, during a gathering for your release, I saw Nazila again and was able to hold her in my arms. You held her too, one autumn evening in 2022, in cell 12 of section 209 of Evin prison. We held each other tightly, and I felt that she was passing on your embrace to me. She told me about the way you welcomed her, and how gently you cared for her when she arrived in that hell controlled by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
An extraordinary big sister, the best anyone could dream of having
The news we get from your former cellmates is the only information not filtered by intelligence services, unlike the rare calls you are allowed to make to us—too short and always monitored. Their testimonies allow me to find you again, fully, just as I know you.
An extraordinary big sister, the best anyone could dream of having. A radiant, brilliant, and compassionate woman. You’re the one who comes to my rescue to get rid of the terrifying spider in the shower. The one who drives across France in her old car to check on me after a lockdown that went on too long. The one who uplifts me when I doubt myself. The one I can tell everything to, without fear or filter. The one who gave me a love of reading and culture. The one whose words inspire me and help shape who I am. The one I am cruelly separated from today.
