France Takes Iran to ICJ Over Detention of Two Citizens, Alleges Hostage-Taking and Torture

17 May, Hague/Paris – France has officially filed a case against Iran at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Tehran of unlawfully detaining two of its citizens for three years and violating international law, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

The case, filed Friday morning in The Hague, concerns French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who were arrested in May 2022 during what France says was a tourist trip to Iran. The pair, who remain incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin prison, have been charged with espionage by Iranian authorities — charges both deny.

Barrot, speaking to a news channel, described their treatment as “hostage-taking” and claimed they have been held in “appalling conditions that amount to torture.” He said Iran has repeatedly denied France consular access to the detainees, in breach of the Vienna Convention, which guarantees consular rights for foreign nationals.

“France is acting to defend its citizens and uphold international law,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine, highlighting Iran’s failure to provide the necessary consular protections. The French government considers the ongoing detention a clear violation of international obligations.

Kohler, a schoolteacher, and Paris, her partner, are the last known French citizens being held in Iran. Their detention entered its third year this week. “They are at the end of their strength,” Kohler’s sister told RFI, expressing concern about the couple’s worsening mental health and declining hope.

French President Emmanuel Macron has previously referred to them as “state hostages,” echoing growing concerns in Europe about Iran’s alleged use of “hostage diplomacy,” a practice where foreign nationals are detained to exert political pressure on Western governments.

Iran denies the accusations and maintains that the arrests were lawful. It has rejected claims of mistreatment and says legal procedures were followed. However, rights groups like Amnesty International have frequently reported on Iran’s use of forced confessions and inhumane prison conditions. Iran has aired footage showing Kohler and Paris allegedly confessing to recordings France has condemned as coerced and unreliable.

The legal escalation comes as Iranian diplomats are set to meet with officials from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in Turkey for nuclear negotiations, adding further tension to an already complex diplomatic landscape.

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