For more than three years, the families of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris have clung to hope as the two French nationals languished in Iranian detention. But this week, that hope was tested as never before. In a rare and deeply emotional phone call on October 14, 2025, both detainees told their loved ones that they had reached “the limit of what they can endure,” according to multiple reports from AP and France 24. The call, described by relatives as a harrowing lifeline, revealed the crushing despair now gripping the pair, who have been at the center of a high-stakes diplomatic standoff between Paris and Tehran.
Kohler, 41, and Paris, 72, were arrested in May 2022 while visiting Iran. Their detention, shrouded in secrecy and controversy from the start, escalated this week when an Iranian Revolutionary Court issued preliminary verdicts against them on charges of “working for French intelligence” and “cooperating with Israel.” The court imposed cumulative sentences totaling 63 years—20 years for Kohler and 17 for Paris, according to Iran’s judiciary outlet Mizan and the semiofficial Fars agency. Under Iranian legal practice, only the longest single term is served, but the impact on the detainees and their families is profound.
“For the first time, they told us clearly that they can’t take any more,” Kohler’s sister, Noémie Kohler, told reporters at a news conference, as quoted by AP. “A few more weeks are beyond their strength.” The emotional toll was echoed by Paris’s daughter, Anne-Laure, who relayed her father’s words: “I stare death in the face. It’s not possible anymore.” These raw admissions have sent shockwaves through their families and galvanized renewed calls for their release.
The French Foreign Ministry wasted no time in condemning the sentences, describing them as “arbitrary” and the charges as “totally unfounded.” The Ministry demanded the “immediate release” of both Kohler and Paris, ramping up diplomatic pressure on Tehran. “We cannot accept this situation,” a spokesperson said, echoing the sentiments of French officials who have long decried the detention as “unjustified and unfounded.”
Yet the legal proceedings themselves have been anything but transparent. Defense lawyer Chirinne Ardakani told AP that the families have received no official notification of the verdicts. “In the absence of access to the criminal file or an independent lawyer, we cannot verify whether any sentence has actually been pronounced,” Ardakani explained, bluntly calling the process “a farce, a comedy.” The trial was held behind closed doors, a common feature of Iran’s Revolutionary Courts, where defendants’ access to evidence is routinely restricted. This opaque system has drawn criticism from rights groups and Western governments, who accuse Iran of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips—a charge Tehran consistently denies.
According to France 24, the families’ anguish is compounded by the detainees’ deteriorating mental and physical health. The rare phone call offered a brief window into their suffering, underscoring the urgency of their plight. Both Kohler and Paris described an overwhelming sense of despair, with Paris’s haunting words—“I stare death in the face”—painting a bleak picture of their current state.
The sentences themselves are preliminary, and under Iranian law, they can be appealed to the Supreme Court within 20 days of the October 14 verdict. But for the families, time is running out. The emotional and psychological toll is mounting, and the prospect of years—let alone decades—behind bars is almost unimaginable. “Their situation is now existential,” as one family member put it, highlighting the gravity of their predicament.
The backdrop to this case is a complex web of diplomatic tensions between France and Iran. Tehran has pressed Paris to release Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian national detained in France, raising the possibility of a prisoner swap. In September, Iran’s foreign minister suggested the two countries were close to an agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron has also weighed in, recently stating there was a “solid prospect” of securing Kohler and Paris’s release. But he added a note of caution, saying he remained “very cautious” about the outcome. The stakes are high, and the negotiations are fraught with uncertainty.
For the families, the political maneuvering offers little comfort. Their focus is on the immediate well-being of Kohler and Paris, whose resilience is being tested to the breaking point. “We are desperate,” said one relative, capturing the mood of those who have spent years advocating for their loved ones’ freedom. The French government, for its part, has reiterated its commitment to securing their release, but the path forward remains unclear.
The broader context of the case cannot be ignored. Iran’s Revolutionary Courts are notorious for their lack of transparency and due process, especially in cases involving foreign nationals. Trials are often conducted behind closed doors, with limited or no access to legal representation or evidence. Rights groups and Western governments have repeatedly accused Tehran of using such detainees as leverage in diplomatic disputes—a practice sometimes referred to as “hostage diplomacy.” While Iran denies these allegations, the pattern has become all too familiar for families caught in the crossfire.
As the 20-day window for appeal ticks down, the urgency of the situation becomes ever more acute. The families, supported by human rights organizations and the French public, are calling for increased diplomatic efforts and international attention. They argue that the charges against Kohler and Paris are baseless and that their continued detention serves no legitimate purpose. The French Foreign Ministry’s strong language underscores the government’s resolve, but the outcome remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, the detainees themselves face a daily struggle for survival. The rare phone call they were allowed this week may have been a lifeline, but it was also a cry for help. Their words—raw, unfiltered, and desperate—have resonated far beyond their immediate families, sparking outrage and concern across France and beyond.
As the days pass, the fate of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris hangs in the balance. Their families, exhausted but determined, continue to fight for their freedom, hoping that diplomatic efforts will finally bear fruit. For now, all eyes are on Tehran—and on the clock.