France has filed a case against Iran at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Tehran of unlawfully detaining two French citizens for three years and violating international law, the French foreign minister said on Friday.
Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were arrested in May 2022 during a tourist trip to Iran. Both were charged with espionage, which they deny. They remain in detention in Iran’s Evin prison.
“They have been held hostage… detained in appalling conditions that amount to torture,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told France 2 television. He said Iran had denied France’s requests for consular access.
The case was formally filed on Friday morning in The Hague, France’s foreign ministry confirmed.
Paris argues that Iran has violated the Vienna Convention, which guarantees consular rights for foreign nationals. “France is acting to defend its citizens and uphold international law,” ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said on Thursday.
Kohler, a teacher, and Paris, her partner, are the last known French citizens held in Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron has described them as “state hostages.”
France and other European Union members accuse Iran of practicing “hostage diplomacy” — detaining foreigners to pressure Western governments.
Iran denies the accusation. Its officials say the arrests followed legal procedures and reject claims of mistreatment.
The legal move comes as Iranian officials are due to meet with European diplomats in Turkey for talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have reported on the use of forced confessions in Iran and poor conditions in its prisons. Iran has broadcast videos of Kohler and Paris appearing to confess. France has called the footage coerced and unreliable.
