An Iranian lower court handed heavy prison sentences to two French citizens charged with spying for France and Israel, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, a week after Paris and Tehran indicated progress in talks to release them.
An Iranian court imposed heavy prison sentences on French nationals Ccile Kohler and Jacques Paris, accused of spying forFranceandIsrael, the Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.
Iranhas detained Kohler and her partner Paris since 2022.
French PresidentEmmanuel Macronand Foreign MinisterJean-Nol Barrothave repeatedly called for the release ofKohler and Paris.
France has accused Iran of holding Kohler and Paris arbitrarily, keeping them in conditions akin totorturein Tehran's Evin prison and not allowing proper consular protection.
The Islamic Republic denies the accusations. It accusesthe pair of spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence service.
France has called those charges baseless.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
Originally published on France24
