The French Foreign Ministry has reiterated its call on Iranian authorities to immediately release a jailed dual Franco-Irish national, saying the 64-year-old has been denied urgent medical care.
Bernard Phélan, a Paris-based tourism consultant, was arrested in October 2022 on accusations of spreading anti-regime propaganda, according to his sister.
Diplomats were quoted as saying that Phélan, who is being incarcerated in the northeastern city of Mashhad, recently ended a hunger strike that had hit his health.
"We are extremely concerned given the extreme fragility of his health situation," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre told reporters on January 26.
"The denial of medical access at this point from the Iranian authorities is completely unacceptable."
Legendre demanding that Phélan be released immediately along with six other French citizens detained in Iran, adding Paris held Tehran responsible for their health.
Iranian security services have taken some 40 foreign nationals into custody, often without revealing any charges, since an ongoing wave of nationwide protests erupted in mid-September.
Western governments have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of taking dual and foreign nationals hostage for the sole purpose of using them in prisoner swaps.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said this week that she wanted a collective European response to deal with the issue.
The Islamic Republic has claimed that the anti-government demonstrations are instigated by its foreign foes. Officials did not provide any evidence backing the allegation.
Many European countries have urged their nationals to leave Iran, warning that they face the risk of arbitrary arrest or unfair trial.
Interested in writing for IranWire?
Share your stories.
comments