After more than three years of uncertainty, anxiety, and diplomatic wrangling, French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been released from an Iranian prison, igniting a wave of relief among their families, supporters, and French officials. The announcement, made by French President Emmanuel Macron on November 4, 2025, marks a significant—if tentative—step forward in a saga that has tested the patience and resolve of all involved.
Macron took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his feelings, writing, “I welcome that first step,” and called the release an “immense relief.” He emphasized that discussions with Iranian authorities were ongoing to ensure Kohler and Paris could return to France “as quickly as possible,” as reported by AFP and AP. The French president’s words echoed the collective sigh of relief felt by the couple’s families, who have spent 1,277 days campaigning for their loved ones’ freedom.
Both Kohler, 41, a high school teacher, and Paris, 72, a retired mathematics teacher, were arrested on May 7, 2022, during what their families insist was a purely touristic visit to Iran. The Iranian authorities, however, accused them of espionage—alleging they worked for French intelligence and cooperated with Israel. Their detention, described by France as “unjustified and unfounded,” soon became emblematic of the fraught relationship between Iran and Western nations, with accusations of “hostage-taking” swirling around Tehran’s handling of foreign prisoners.
According to FranceInfo and RFI, Kohler and Paris were sentenced in a closed-door trial last month to 20 years and 17 years in prison, respectively. The Iranian judiciary’s news agency, Mizan, reported that the pair had been convicted by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The semiofficial Fars agency added that their cumulative sentences totaled 63 years across multiple counts—an outcome that shocked their families and supporters in France.
The ordeal took a particularly harrowing turn in October 2022 when Kohler was shown on Iranian state television making what activists and rights groups described as a forced confession. In the video, she claimed to be working for French intelligence—a statement her family and French authorities adamantly rejected, insisting it was extracted under duress. “What they experienced was unbearable. We’re talking about a situation that amounted to torture. So the torture stops,” their lawyer Martin Pradel told FranceInfo.
The conditions of their release, however, are far from straightforward. Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that Kohler and Paris had been granted “conditional release” on bail and would remain under surveillance until the next stage of judicial proceedings. “Two French citizens who were in jail for some time over security charges were released based on bail according to a verdict by related judge and they will be under supervision until next judicial stage,” Baghaei stated, as reported by AP.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot provided further reassurance during an appearance on France 2 television, stating that the couple were “safe” and “in good physical and mental health” at the French Embassy in Tehran. “They are fine. They are obviously relieved and seem to be in good physical and mental health,” Barrot said, but he declined to specify when the pair might be allowed to return home. “We will continue to work discreetly. That’s in-depth work which is the work of diplomats to ensure their return to France as soon as possible.”
For the families, the news brought a long-awaited emotional release. “I finally managed to cry. From the moment I heard the news, the tears finally came,” Kohler’s mother, Mireille, told RTL. In a joint statement, the families said they could now “see the light at the end of the tunnel,” with Kohler’s parents calling it “an immense relief.” The couple’s Paris-based legal team described the release as ending “their arbitrary detention which lasted 1,277 days.”
Despite the positive development, the pair’s freedom remains conditional, as they are still subject to an Iranian travel ban. Their lawyer, Martin Pradel, cautioned that this “conditional freedom” could last for months or even years if negotiations stall. “Today, they are not yet free to come home,” he warned. “The next step we are waiting for is a return to France.”
Their release comes at a delicate time in Iran’s relations with the West, following a period of heightened tensions marked by a US-Israel 12-day war in June and the reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran. The country’s nuclear program remains a point of contention, with Iran insisting it is solely for civilian purposes. Some Iranians worry that the sanctions, which have already deepened economic woes, could be used as a pretext for further military action by Israel, as noted by AFP.
Adding another layer of complexity, the release of Kohler and Paris may be linked to a broader diplomatic arrangement. Iran has hinted that their freedom could be part of a swap deal involving Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari, who was arrested in France in February 2025 on charges of promoting terrorism on social media. Esfandiari was released on bail last month and is scheduled to face trial in Paris in January 2026. French officials, however, have declined to comment on whether a deal was struck, with Foreign Minister Barrot sidestepping questions on the matter during his television appearance.
Earlier in September, France had filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the detention of Kohler and Paris, arguing that Iran’s actions violated their right to consular protection. Yet the case was abruptly dropped at France’s own request, coinciding with reports of quiet negotiations between the two countries—a move that has fueled speculation about behind-the-scenes diplomacy paving the way for the couple’s release.
The plight of Kohler and Paris is not unique. Western governments, including France, have long accused Iran of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips in diplomatic disputes—a charge Tehran has consistently denied. Among those still imprisoned is Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali, who was sentenced to death in 2017 on espionage charges his family strenuously contests.
Back in Kohler’s hometown of Soultz-Haut-Rhin in eastern France, around 30 residents gathered outside the town hall on the evening of the announcement. A large banner bearing her face has hung there for months, and local mayor Marcello Rotolo voiced the community’s cautious optimism: “We’ll really believe it when Cécile and Jacques come to take it down themselves.”
For now, the story of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris remains unfinished. Their release from Evin prison is a critical milestone, but the next chapter—one that sees them safely home in France—still hangs in the balance, shaped by the unpredictable currents of international diplomacy and the hopes of those who have waited so long for their return.
