Iran Says Both Sides Show ‘Necessary Will’ to Resolve Prisoner Issue with France

DUBAI, Oct 20:  Iran believes both Tehran and Paris have demonstrated the “necessary will” to resolve the ongoing dispute over detained citizens from both countries, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.

Speaking at his weekly press conference, Baghaei confirmed that the matter was being “followed seriously” by Iranian authorities and hinted at the possibility of a prisoner swap between the two nations.

“We are following the issue seriously. We believe both sides have the necessary will to resolve this issue,” Baghaei said when asked about recent developments concerning French detainees in Iran.

His remarks come a week after an Iranian court handed lengthy prison sentences to two French nationals, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been in detention since 2022. Both were accused by Iranian authorities of engaging in activities deemed harmful to national security  charges that Paris has strongly rejected.

Kohler, a teachers’ union representative, and her partner were arrested during a trip to Iran in 2022 and have since been a focal point of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Iran has accused France of arbitrarily detaining an Iranian citizen, Mahdieh Esfandiari, a student living in Lyon, who was arrested earlier this year over anti-Israel social media posts.

The reciprocal accusations and arrests have strained diplomatic relations between Tehran and Paris, though both sides appear open to negotiation to de-escalate the situation.

Baghaei’s latest comments suggest a potential diplomatic opening for renewed dialogue between Iran and France, as both countries signal willingness to find a resolution through legal or humanitarian channels.