France – Public Senat, June 23, 2025
Evin prison in Tehran, where the two last known French hostages of the clerical regime are held, was hit by Israeli bombings against Iran. In a statement, the head of French diplomacy demands their “immediate release.”
Israeli strikes on Tehran targeted Evin prison, where the two last known French hostages in Iran, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, are detained, it was learned this Monday, June 23. “During the latest attack by the Zionist regime against Tehran, projectiles unfortunately hit Evin prison, causing damage to some sections,” indicates one of the websites of the clerical regime.
These strikes were strongly condemned on Monday afternoon by Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. “The strike that targeted Evin prison in Tehran endangered our nationals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, hostages for 3 years. It is unacceptable,” wrote the head of French diplomacy in a post on his X account, although he did not name Israel directly. “I have asked for news of them and their immediate release from my Iranian counterpart. Cécile and Jacques would not have been affected by the damage caused on site. I demanded consular access as soon as possible,” Jean-Noël Barrot added.
“I think this strike has nothing to do with the officially stated objectives, it does nothing to reduce the Iranian nuclear program,” Emmanuel Macron commented late afternoon from Norway, where he began a 24-hour visit on Monday.
“They are slowly dying”
Cécile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris have been arbitrarily detained by Tehran since 2022. On March 5, Cécile’s sister, Noémie Kohler, was heard by the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, an opportunity for the young woman to alert lawmakers about the health condition of the two French nationals, held in isolation in the notoriously infamous Section 209 of Evin prison. “We are terribly worried about their health, they are slowly dying,” she declared.
