France – France Info, January 31, 2025
Olivier Grondeau, a 34-year-old French national, spoke with France 2’s 20 Heures news program from Evin Prison in Tehran, one of Iran’s most notorious detention centers. Arrested in 2022 while on a tourist visit, Grondeau took the opportunity to speak during one of his rare authorized phone calls.
Detained since late 2022, he was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of espionage and conspiracy. Calling from his cell in Evin Prison, he told 20 Heures: “I have a ten-minute call, and of course, it is being monitored.” He described his condition as “unstable.”
Grondeau said he shares his cell with “17 or 18 others,” many of whom are “political prisoners or hostages.” He added, “There are a lot of espionage-related charges in my section.” The situation is increasingly difficult for him to endure. His case and identity were first revealed by Radio France in January 2025. “One day, you believe you’ll be released soon; the next, you think you’ll die here,” he said, continuing to assert his innocence.
