Iranian Court Delivers Verdicts
An Iranian court on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, sentenced two French citizens, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, to lengthy prison terms on charges of espionage and acting against national security. The semi-official Fars news agency identified the pair, who have been held in Iran since 2022, as the individuals sentenced. Iran's judiciary, through its official outlet Mizan Online, announced the verdicts following what it described as 'comprehensive judicial proceedings'. The total combined sentence for the various charges amounts to 63 years.
Charges and Sentences Detailed
The Tehran Revolutionary Court found the French nationals guilty of multiple offenses, including espionage for French intelligence services, conspiracy against national security, and intelligence cooperation with Israel. One defendant received a sentence of six years for espionage on behalf of French intelligence services, five years for association to commit a crime against national security, and 20 years in internal exile for alleged intelligence cooperation with 'the Zionist regime'. The second defendant was handed 10 years for spying for French intelligence services, five years for conspiracy against national security, and 17 years for assisting in intelligence cooperation with Israel. Under Iranian law, these sentences are to run concurrently, meaning that the longest single term of imprisonment will apply. While sources close to the case state Kohler and Paris were detained in May 2022, the Mizan news agency reported their arrest in March 2023.
International Reaction and Diplomatic Tensions
France has consistently condemned the detention of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, describing it as 'arbitrary' and their conditions in Tehran's Evin prison as akin to 'torture'. French President Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot have repeatedly called for their release. Iran, however, denies these accusations, asserting that its courts operate according to national security laws. The sentencing occurs amid ongoing speculation regarding a potential prisoner exchange deal between Tehran and Paris. This potential exchange reportedly involves Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian national arrested in France on charges of promoting terrorism. Recently, Iran released Lennart Monterlos, a French-German cyclist who had been arrested earlier this year.
Appeal Process Underway
The verdicts delivered by the Iranian court are not final. Both defendants have the right to appeal their sentences to the Supreme Court of Iran within 20 days. This legal avenue provides a period for further judicial review of the case.
5 Comments
Rotfront
Another sham trial by a repressive regime. The international community must condemn this.
Karamba
If they spied for Israel, they absolutely got what they deserved. No sympathy.
Katchuka
The fact that an appeal process is available offers a glimmer of hope, though many fear that in cases of this political sensitivity, the outcome is often predetermined. Transparency in the appeal would be crucial to lending any credibility to the process.
Leonardo
The mention of a potential prisoner exchange suggests that while these are presented as legal verdicts, the ultimate resolution might be diplomatic rather than purely judicial. It points to a transactional approach to international relations that bypasses true justice.
Bella Ciao
The severity of the sentences is shocking, but the article does highlight the alleged intelligence cooperation with Israel, a major point of contention for Iran. This context, whether accurate or not, heavily influences Iran's legal and political response.