Iran: French, Belgian nationals indicted for espionage

The hardline judiciary in Iran has indicted two French nationals and one Belgian national on charges of espionage. The indictments come amidst deteriorating relations between the European countries and Iran.

The semi-official Student News Network reported on Tuesday that two French nationals and one Belgian national were indicted by the Iranian judiciary, according to the branch’s spokesperson. The outlet did not mention the names of the three or revealed where they are being detained or when they were indicted. The three European nationals were indicted on charges of espionage.

Back in November, the French foreign minister said a total of seven French nationals are detained in Iran. In December, the Belgian justice minister criticized Iran’s detainment of aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, who was sentenced to 28 years in prison for what the minister described as a “fabricated series of crimes.”

Iranian media outlets released a video in October where two French nationals appeared to confess to acts of espionage at a time when Iran is facing unrest due to the ongoing protests. The video sparked public outrage in France, saying that the detainees were “state hostages.”

The Islamic Republic has sought to accuse its foreign adversaries, such as the United States, of fomenting the ongoing unrest that has been taking place in the country for months. The protests erupted in September after a woman named Mahsa Amini died days after she was detained by the morality police for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic’s dress code on women. The protests have drawn people from all walks of life, the biggest show of opposition against the clerical regime since 1979.

The Telegraph on Monday reported that the British government was going to officially designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization following its arrest of seven individuals linked to the United Kingdom, some of which are dual citizens. The designation will take place in the coming weeks and has already been approved by British security minister Tom Tugendhat and Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

This also follows Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s call for Iran to stop detaining dual nationals to gain diplomatic leverage.