A Tehran Revolutionary Court has handed heavy prison and internal-exile sentences to two French nationals accused of spying for France and collaborating with Israel, the judiciary announced Tuesday.
According to the official Mizan news agency, the pair—described in court documents as French intelligence employees—were convicted of espionage, collusion against national security, and cooperation with Israeli intelligence.
One received six years for espionage, five for collusion, and 20 years in internal exile; the other was sentenced to 10 years for espionage, five for collusion, and 17 years for aiding Israeli intelligence.
Iranian authorities did not name the two, but the case immediately drew comparisons with Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, a French teacher and her partner detained in May 2022 and accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad.
The judiciary said the defendants were arrested in March 2023 and had access to lawyers and contact with family during the proceedings.
They now have 20 days to appeal.
Ongoing dispute over detainees
Earlier Tuesday, judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said Tehran continued to seek the release of Iranian citizen Mahdieh Esfandiari, detained in France on charges of promoting terrorism.
“The Human Rights Headquarters, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, is making every effort for the unconditional release of our compatriot,” Jahangir said. He described the accusations against Esfandiari as “baseless,” adding that “support for the people of Palestine and opposition to genocide in Gaza cannot be considered a crime.”
In September, France withdrew its case against Iran at the International Court of Justice over the detention of Kohler and Paris. The move followed a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York and was seen as a possible gesture toward reviving prisoner-exchange talks.
Iran maintains that all espionage cases are handled through “legal and transparent” procedures and denies using foreign detainees for political leverage. France, meanwhile, continues to demand the “immediate and unconditional” release of its nationals.
