French pair says not 'broken' after 'daily horror' in Iran prison
Two French nationals who returned home Wednesday after being held for almost four years in Iran said they had never given up hope and would speak out about the "daily horror" of their Iranian prison.
Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, landed in Paris earlier Wednesday, with President Emmanuel Macron hailing "the end of a terrible ordeal" before he greeted them at the Elysee Palace.
The pair, arrested on espionage charges their families have denied, were imprisoned for three years before being sent to house arrest at the French embassy last November.
Their fate became even more uncertain after US-Israeli strikes on Iran started on February 28.
They finally left war-torn Iran early Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump threatened "complete demolition" of the Islamic republic if it did not reopen a vital waterway, before he announced a two-week suspension of bombing later in the day.
The pair travelled in a diplomatic convoy with the French ambassador and arrived in Azerbaijan's capital Baku later in the day.
"For us, this is a fresh start. We're not broken," Paris said in the Elysee gardens after meeting Macron.
"We're going to share our stories, we're going to explain things, and we're going to enjoy life, reconnect with all our loved ones and move forward," he added.
Kohler said they had been subjected to "daily horror" and constant uncertainty inside Tehran's Evin prison.
But "we kept our hopes up right to the end," she added, expressing her "immense joy" at being reunited with her loved ones.
- 'Double cause for satisfaction' -
Macron earlier had greeted the pair, who appeared in good spirits, and smiled as the French leader embraced them.
"This marks the end of a terrible ordeal lasting three and a half years," Macron had said at a meeting of top defence and security officials earlier Wednesday.
"We are absolutely delighted that they have arrived on French soil," he said, thanking Oman for its mediation efforts.
Officials and their supporters celebrated the return.
Marie Zandonella, a childhood friend of Kohler's, said their release came as "a huge relief for everyone".
"We know the family very well, and the whole ordeal has been incredibly difficult," she said.
An Iranian diplomatic source welcomed the news.
"The ceasefire announced in Iran and the return of the two French nationals is a double cause for satisfaction," the source said.
A source close to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that "what secured their release was the current situation".
"If anything dramatic had happened to our compatriots, the reaction would have been fierce," the source added.
- Possible exchange -
Kohler and Paris -- both teachers, although Paris is retired -- were arrested in May 2022 at the end of a trip to Iran that their families say was for tourism.
At the end of a closed-door trial, an Iranian court in October sentenced them to jail on espionage charges their families say were fabricated.
The tribunal jailed Paris for 17 years and Kohler for 20 years for allegedly spying for France and Israel.
They were released from Evin prison the following month.
The pair were among a number of Europeans caught up in what activists and some Western governments describe as Iran's deliberate strategy of hostage-taking to extract concessions from the West.
Tehran had earlier suggested that Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari could be exchanged for Kohler and Paris.
Esfandiari was sentenced by a French court in February to one year in prison for justifying terrorism over comments she made on social media, including on Palestinian militant group Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Her house arrest order was lifted following the French pair's departure from Iran, her lawyer has told AFP.
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