French Teacher Marks Second Birthday in Iranian Jail

For the second year in a row, a French teacher incarcerated in Iran for more than 500 days has celebrated her birthday in Tehran’s Evin prison.

Considered a state hostage by the French government, Cécile Kohler marked her 39th birthday on September 25.

Noémie Kohler, president of the support committee Liberté pour Cécile, posted a photo of her and her sister on social networks, saying that the family has not heard from her for more than a month. 

“We don’t know when she will be able to call us. One year and a half of her life has already been stolen from her. We must do everything to get her out of this hell,” she wrote.

C'est le 2è anniversaire que ma soeur #CécileKohler passe à la prison d'#Evin en #Iran. Son dernier appel date d'il y a + d'un mois, nous ignorons quand elle pourra nous rappeler. Un an et demi de sa vie lui ont déjà été volés. Nous devons tout faire pour la sortir de cet enfer ! pic.twitter.com/GuAk2PRKs0

— Noémie Kohler #FreeCecile (@NoemieColere) September 25, 2023

A teacher of modern literature, Kohler was arrested on May 7, 2021 while she was on a tourist trip to Iran with her companion Jacques Paris. 

According to the Iranian authorities, the pair could soon appear in court for espionage, a charge rejected by the family and the French government.

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 or as a bargaining chip in international negotiations.

Many European countries have urged their nationals not to travel to Iran, warning that they face the risk of arbitrary arrest or unfair trial.