France calls for launch of residents held in Iran after Tehran floats prisoner swap

France reiterated its calls for on Friday (September 12, 2025) for the fast, unconditional launch of three French residents held in Iran, declining to touch upon a attainable prisoner swap talked about this week by the Iranian Foreign Minister.

Iran has been holding Cecile Kohler and her associate, Jacques Paris, since 2022 in circumstances that France has stated are akin to torture. An 18-year-old French-German bike owner was additionally arrested in July.

In feedback earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi steered the French nationals could possibly be exchanged for Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian scholar dwelling within the French metropolis of Lyon who was arrested this 12 months over anti-Israel social media posts.

“A lot of work has been done regarding Ms Esfandiari’s case, and exchanging of her for French prisoners in Iran. We hope that good news will be announced on this matter soon,” Mr. Araqchi instructed Iranian state tv.

Asked about Mr. Araqchi’s assertion, outgoing French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot declined to remark. “France demands the unconditional and immediate release of our citizens in Iran, and I will make no comment on the remarks of the Iranian foreign minister,” Mr. Barrot instructed France Inter radio.

Ms. Kohler and Mr. Paris are accused of spying and in search of to fire up unrest, prices that France has known as baseless.

Negotiations to safe their launch have been ongoing for months, and the French authorities has develop into more and more pissed off by the shortage of progress or entry to its residents. It has filed a criticism on the World Court in opposition to Iran for violating the correct to consular safety.

Efforts to succeed in a deal in regards to the prisoners are more likely to be difficult after France, Britain and Germany triggered the method to reimpose sanctions on Iran on the U.N. in August.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have detained dozens of overseas and twin nationals lately, usually on espionage-related prices. Rights teams and Western nations accuse Tehran of utilizing overseas detainees as bargaining chips, which it denies.