French national jailed in Iran since 2020 goes on hunger strike
3 years, 3 months ago

French national jailed in Iran since 2020 goes on hunger strike

Al Jazeera  

Benjamin Briere, 36, is being detained over alleged spying and propaganda against Iran – charges he rejects as fabricated. A French man jailed in Iran for more than 18 months on espionage charges he rejects as fabricated has begun a hunger strike to protest against his continued detention, his lawyer and family say. Benjamin Briere, 36, was arrested in May last year after flying a helicam – a remote-controlled mini helicopter – in the desert near the Turkmenistan-Iran border, and charged with spying and propaganda against Iran. “The feeling of abandonment – and distress – has led Benjamin Briere to embark on a hunger strike in order to alert Iranian and French authorities to the absurdity of his detention,” his sister Blandine Briere and lawyer Philippe Valent said in an emailed statement cited by the Reuters news agency on Monday. ‘Completely illegal’ detention Blandine Briere, Benjamin’s sister, told the AFP news agency her brother was being “held hostage for no reason”.

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History of this topic

French citizen Olivier Grondeau freed after 880 days of imprisonment in Iran: Emmanuel Macron
Trending News
1 week, 3 days ago

French citizen Olivier Grondeau freed after 880 days of imprisonment in Iran: Emmanuel Macron

The Hindu  

“A French citizen imprisoned in Iran for more than 880 days has been freed,” French officials said on Thursday The release of Olivier Grondeau comes as France and the rest of Europe try to pursue negotiations with Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme. “All my thoughts are with them and their families on this day.” Iran does not acknowledge …

Iran frees French national Olivier Grondeau jailed for 880 days on espionage charges
1 week, 3 days ago

Iran frees French national Olivier Grondeau jailed for 880 days on espionage charges

Firstpost  

France has announced the release of Olivier Grondeau, a French national who had been imprisoned in Iran for 880 days. Iran has released a French national, Olivier Grondeau, who was held captive in its prison for 880 days, French officials said on Thursday. Je remercie tous les services de l'État, notre ambassadeur en Iran et le Centre de Crise et …

French citizen Olivier Grondeau is freed after over 880 days in a prison in Iran
1 week, 3 days ago

French citizen Olivier Grondeau is freed after over 880 days in a prison in Iran

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A French citizen imprisoned in Iran for over 880 days has been freed and is back home, as was another French citizen held under house arrest in Tehran, French officials said Thursday. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France did not provide anything in exchange for Grondeau’s liberation. Earlier this week, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson …

Iran releases French national imprisoned for protesting Mahsa Amini death
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Iran releases French national imprisoned for protesting Mahsa Amini death

Hindustan Times  

Louis Arnaud, a French national, returned to his home country on Thursday after being released by Iran, after over 20 months of imprisonment for allegedly participating in nationwide protests following Mahsa Amini's death for not wearing a hijab, according to AP. Iran releases French national imprisoned for protesting Mahsa Amini death On arrival, Arnaud met his family and the French …

France says 2 citizens held in Iran freed from prison, on way to Paris
1 year, 10 months ago

France says 2 citizens held in Iran freed from prison, on way to Paris

Associated Press  

PARIS — A French citizen and another holding dual French-Irish nationality have been freed from an Iranian prison, French authorities said Friday, the culmination of a hard-fought effort to bring them home. Benjamin Briere and Bernard Phelan, who both had been held in a prison in Mashhad, in northeast Iran, were heading to Paris, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said. “It’s …

Two French citizens leave Iran after release from prison: Paris
1 year, 10 months ago

Two French citizens leave Iran after release from prison: Paris

Al Jazeera  

Tehran says the release of Bernard Phelan and Benjamin Briere, jailed for alleged spying, is a ‘humanitarian action’. Iran has released two French citizens, Bernard Phelan and Benjamin Briere, from a prison in the northeastern city of Mashhad, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. Ties between France and Iran have deteriorated in recent months with Tehran’s detentions of six French …

Jailed in Iran, French 'spy' again goes on hunger strike against torture, open hangings, filthy conditions
2 years, 1 month ago

Jailed in Iran, French 'spy' again goes on hunger strike against torture, open hangings, filthy conditions

Firstpost  

Briere’s France-based attorney Philippe Valent described the spying allegations against him as “fiction” and the trial as “a comedy produced by the Revolutionary Guards,” the part of the Iranian security forces in charge of maintaining the government Paris: A French national Benjamin Briere, who is jailed in Iran on allegations of spying is on a hunger strike for the second …

Iran sentences Belgian aid worker to prison, lashes
2 years, 2 months ago

Iran sentences Belgian aid worker to prison, lashes

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran has sentenced a Belgian aid worker to a lengthy prison term and 74 lashes after convicting him of espionage in a closed-door trial, state media reported Tuesday. The website of Iran’s judiciary said a Revolutionary Court sentenced 41-year-old Olivier Vandecasteele to 12.5 years in prison for espionage, 12.5 years for collaboration with hostile governments …

Iran sentences Belgian aid worker to prison, 74 lashes for espionage
2 years, 2 months ago

Iran sentences Belgian aid worker to prison, 74 lashes for espionage

Firstpost  

The website of Iran’s judiciary said a Revolutionary Court sentenced 41-yr-old Olivier Vandecasteele to 12.5 years in prison for espionage, 12.5 years for collaboration with hostile governments and 12.5 years for money laundering. He was also fined $1 million and sentenced to 2.5 years for smuggling Dubai : Iran has sentenced a Belgian aid worker to a lengthy prison term …

Iran sentences Belgian aid worker to prison and 74 lashes for alleged espionage
2 years, 2 months ago

Iran sentences Belgian aid worker to prison and 74 lashes for alleged espionage

LA Times  

Iran has sentenced a Belgian aid worker to a lengthy prison term and 74 lashes after convicting him of espionage charges in a closed-door trial, state media reported Tuesday. The website of Iran’s judiciary said a Revolutionary Court sentenced 41-year-old Olivier Vandecasteele to 12½ years in prison for espionage, 12½ years for collaboration with hostile governments and 12½ years for …

Iran sentences Belgian national to 40 years in prison, 74 lashes
2 years, 2 months ago

Iran sentences Belgian national to 40 years in prison, 74 lashes

Al Jazeera  

Relations between Iran and Belgium have increasingly soured following the arrest of an Iranian diplomat in 2018 over bomb-plot allegations. Tehran, Iran – A court in Iran has sentenced a Belgian national to a total of 40 years in prison, dozens of lashes, and financial penalties for spying and other charges. For each of the main two charges, namely spying …

Iran indicts two French nationals for spying
2 years, 2 months ago

Iran indicts two French nationals for spying

Al Jazeera  

Iranian authorities accuse the French citizens, who they have not named, of spying and colluding against national security. Tehran, Iran – Iran’s judiciary has issued indictments related to espionage against two French citizens and has indicted a Belgian national in a separate case. The two French citizens were not named, but judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi said at a press conference …

France slams Iran for publishing ‘confession’ video of ‘hostages’
2 years, 5 months ago

France slams Iran for publishing ‘confession’ video of ‘hostages’

Al Jazeera  

Paris condemns Tehran for airing a video of a French couple, who say they are spies of French intelligence service. Iran’s state television has aired what it says are “confessions” by a French couple arrested five months ago, a move the French government is condemning as “shameful, revolting and unacceptable”. “Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been arbitrarily detained in …

Iran jails French man for eight years on spying charges
3 years, 2 months ago

Iran jails French man for eight years on spying charges

Al Jazeera  

Benjamin Briere was also given an additional eight-month sentence for propaganda against Iran’s Islamic system. A court in Iran has sentenced a French man to eight years in jail on spying charges, his Paris-based lawyer said, denouncing his trial as a sham and the accusations as baseless. Currently on hunger strike, he was also given an additional eight-month sentence for …

Lawyer: Iran charges detained French tourist with spying
4 years ago

Lawyer: Iran charges detained French tourist with spying

Associated Press  

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has charged a French tourist with spying and “spreading propaganda against the system,” his lawyer said Monday, the latest in a series of cases against foreigners at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the West. Benjamin Berier was arrested some 10 months ago after taking pictures in a desert area where photography is prohibited …

Iran charges detained French tourist with spying: Lawyer
4 years ago

Iran charges detained French tourist with spying: Lawyer

Al Jazeera  

Iran has charged a French tourist with spying and “spreading propaganda against the system,” his lawyer said, the latest in a series of cases against foreigners at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the West. “On Sunday, he was charged with two counts of espionage and propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” Dehghan told Reuters news agency on Monday, …

Lawyer: French tourist detained in Iran on security charges
4 years, 1 month ago

Lawyer: French tourist detained in Iran on security charges

Associated Press  

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has detained a French tourist for nine months, his lawyer said on Wednesday, the latest in a series of detentions of foreigners at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the West. The detainee’s lawyer, Saeed Dehghan, described the charges against the French tourist held in Iran as “paradoxical,” involving murky security-related accusations. An official …

Iranian-French academic Fariba Adelkhah temporarily freed
4 years, 5 months ago

Iranian-French academic Fariba Adelkhah temporarily freed

Al Jazeera  

Jailed over security breaches, Adelkhah will have to wear an ankle bracelet while on furlough. Iran has temporarily released Iranian-French academic Fariba Adelkhah, who has been in prison over national security charges, according to her lawyer. In June, the Iranian judiciary’s official Mizan news agency quoted a spokesman as saying that “the appeals court has upheld Adelkhah’s five-year jail sentence. …

French-Iranian academic marks one year imprisoned in Iran
4 years, 9 months ago

French-Iranian academic marks one year imprisoned in Iran

Al Jazeera  

Series of events mark anniversary of Fariba Adelkhah’s arrest as Paris city hall displays her portrait on its facade. French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah has spent one year imprisoned in Iran, in a case that has intensified tensions between Paris and Tehran and angered supporters who fear she is the victim of a political battle. “Fariba Adelkhah is a hostage of …

Iran sentences French academic to six years in prison: Lawyer
4 years, 10 months ago

Iran sentences French academic to six years in prison: Lawyer

Al Jazeera  

Fariba Adelkhah is sentenced to five years in jail for conspiring against Iran’s security and one year for propaganda. Iran has sentenced French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah to six years in prison on national security charges, according to her lawyer. “The branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court has sentenced her to five years jail for gathering and conspiring against Iran’s national …

Iran frees French researcher in apparent prisoner swap
5 years ago

Iran frees French researcher in apparent prisoner swap

Al Jazeera  

Release of Roland Marchal comes after Iranian Jallal Rohollahnejad is freed by France. Iran has released a jailed French researcher, in an apparent prisoner swap after France freed an Iranian threatened with extradition to the United States. French President Emanuel Macron “is happy to announce the release of Roland Marchal, imprisoned in Iran since June 2019”, his office said on …

Iran frees French researcher in apparent prisoner swap
5 years ago

Iran frees French researcher in apparent prisoner swap

Associated Press  

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian state TV said late Friday that authorities released a jailed French researcher detained in Tehran for more than eight months on charges of violating state security laws, in an apparent prisoner swap for an Iranian held in France. The report said Roland Marchal was turned over to the French Embassy in Tehran, hours after French authorities …

France summons Iranian ambassador over imprisoned academics
5 years, 3 months ago

France summons Iranian ambassador over imprisoned academics

Al Jazeera  

Ambassador ‘reminded’ of French demand to Iran to release academics from Tehran jail. France’s foreign ministry has summoned the Iranian ambassador over the detention of two French academics, expressing “grave concern” that one is now on a hunger strike. In a statement on Friday, the ministry said the Iranian envoy “was reminded of France‘s demand that Fariba Adelkhah and Roland …

Iran lawyer: No proof of charges against 2 French citizens
5 years, 5 months ago

Iran lawyer: No proof of charges against 2 French citizens

Associated Press  

TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian lawyer representing two French researchers in custody in Tehran says prosecutors have given no evidence of spying and security charges against them, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported Monday. The report quoted lawyer Saeid Dehghan as saying Roland Marchal was detained on security charges in June while visiting Iran to see Iranian-French fellow academic Fariba …

Macron seeks answers from Iran over academic’s detention
5 years, 8 months ago

Macron seeks answers from Iran over academic’s detention

Al Jazeera  

The French president worried for Fariba Adelkhah at a time Paris and Tehran are in crisis talks to save nuclear deal. French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called on Tehran to explain why a Franco-Iranian academic based at a Paris university has been arrested in Iran, expressing concern for the woman’s welfare. “France calls on the Iranian authorities to shed …

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