Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned on Thursday that an agreement to swap French detainees in Iran for an Iranian woman imprisoned in France was close to finalization.
The suggested exchange includes Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian woman detained in France in February for allegedly inciting terrorism via social media.
“We have engaged in extensive efforts, and I can now confirm that we are nearing the final stages of the exchange of French prisoners in Iran,” Araghchi stated in a televised interview, without providing additional details.
Iran has consistently demanded her release, claiming that her detention is unjust.
France has brought a case against Tehran at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the imprisonment of two French nationals, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris.
Kohler, age 40, and Paris, in his 70s, were apprehended on May 7, 2022, and accused of espionage on behalf of Israel, Iran’s main adversary. Their families have characterized their situation as more and more desperate.
Kohler and Paris are part of approximately 20 Europeans who are presently held in Iran.
Among those is a Franco-German teenager who vanished in the nation on June 16 while cycling from Europe to Asia amid Iran’s short conflict with Israel and was subsequently disclosed to have been arrested
