Iran: France demands release of French-Iranian national due to poor health

The French foreign ministry has demanded Iran immediately release French-Iranian national Bernard Phelan to seek medical treatment due to declining health. The demand comes amidst Iran’s detainment of several other French nationals at a time when relations between the two countries have deteriorated.

On Thursday, the French foreign ministry demanded Tehran immediately release Phelan, who has been detained in Iran since early October in the midst of the ongoing anti-government protests across the country. Phelan recently went on a hunger strike that took a toll on his health, and diplomats said Phelan remains in fragile condition.

“We are extremely concerned given the extreme fragility of his health situation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre told reporters during a news briefing, adding that Phelan must be released immediately along with six other French nationals that Tehran has detained. “The denial of medical access at this point from the Iranian authorities is completely unacceptable.”

Legendre added that Paris would hold Iran responsible for the health of the French citizens it has detained. The family of Louis Arnaud, who was arrested back in September, confirmed Arnaud’s detainment in Iran’s Evin prison.

French foreign minister Catherine Colonna spoke with her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Wednesday to demand the release of the French nationals that are being detained. Around 40 European nationals are currently detained in Iran, and Colonna has said she wanted a collective European response to the matter.

Rights groups have long accused Iran of detaining foreign nationals in an attempt to extract concessions or diplomatic leverage. Tehran has denied the allegations. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have long been known for detaining foreign nationals on espionage or security charges.

Iran has been in a state of unrest since September last year as widespread protests erupted over the death of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. Iran has also come under heavy scrutiny for allegedly supplying drones to Russia to aid Moscow in its war in Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also called on the Iranian authorities to provide answers over the execution and burial of British-Iranian national and former Iranian deputy defense minister Alireza Akbari. Akbari was executed on January 14 despite calls from the United Kingdom and the United States. Akbari’s execution has since resulted in a new set of sanctions on Iranian officials this week.