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Iran releases French national imprisoned for protesting Mahsa Amini death
Arnaud was detained for allegedly participating in protests and has returned, however 3 more French nationals remain arrested in Iran.
Louis Arnaud, a French national, returned to his home country on Thursday after being released by Iran, after over 20 months of imprisonment for allegedly participating in nationwide protests following Mahsa Amini's death for not wearing a hijab, according to AP.
On arrival, Arnaud met his family and the French Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Séjourné, AP reported.
On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Louis Arnaud is free”, and thanked “all those who helped bring this happy outcome," including Oman who acted as an interlocutor between with the West and Iran.
Arnaud, a 30 year old consultant was detained in September 2022 along with other Europeans, according to AP.
According to French media, Arnaud, was accused of taking part in nationwide protests after the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini died after being arrested for not wearing her hijab as prescribes by security forces.
Macron also expressed his concern for three more French citizens imprisoned in Iran, notably Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been detained since May 2022.
Kohler and Paris were identified by French authorities as a teachers’ union official and her partner on vacation in the country. They were accused of protesting with Iranian teachers and participating in an anti-government rally, AP reported.
The third detained French citizen is only identified by his first name, Olivier, according to AP.
“I call on Iran to release them without delay,’ Macron wrote on X.
“We're still working” for them to be freed, Séjourné said on Thursday, according to AP. "Our diplomacy is still mobilised. ... That will be the next victory for tomorrow. But here we must be satisfied with a great diplomatic victory for France.”
