French national Olivier Grondeau has been released from an Iranian prison after nearly 900 days of detention, as confirmed by President Emmanuel Macron. Grondeau, who is 34 years old, was arrested in southern Iran in October 2022 while on vacation and was later sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “conspiracy against the Islamic republic”, a claim that both his family and the French government categorically reject.
The French government has accused Iran of using Grondeau as a hostage, a tactic that human rights organizations allege is common for Tehran, which seeks to leverage the situation to gain concessions from other nations.
Macron announces Grondeau’s return
In a statement regarding Grondeau’s release, Macron expressed relief that he has returned to France and is now with his family. “We share his family’s immense happiness and relief,” he noted in a post on X. Grondeau’s identity was kept private until January, when his family chose to publicize his ordeal, prompting the release of an audio message from him that conveyed the psychological toll of his imprisonment.
“One day you think you’re going to be freed very quickly, the next you think you’ll die here,” he said in the recording.
Grondeau further suggested that he was being exploited as a bargaining tool by the Iranian government, stating, “You become a human who has been stocked away indefinitely because one government is seeking to exert pressure on another.”
Ongoing efforts for the release of other hostages
The announcement of Grondeau’s freedom was accompanied by a message from France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, who shared a photo of Grondeau smiling aboard a plane. “Olivier Grondeau is finally free,” Barrot stated. “Taken hostage in Iran for 887 days, he has been reunited with his family, loved ones and his country. It’s a tremendous relief.” He also emphasized that France will continue its efforts to secure the release of other citizens still held hostage, including Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been imprisoned since May 2022.
Both Macron and Barrot reiterated the urgency of securing the release of Kohler and Paris, with Macron stating, “Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris must be freed from Iranian jails. All my thoughts are with them and their families on this day.” Additionally, the plight of other foreign detainees, such as British nationals Craig and Lindsay Foreman, who were arrested earlier this year while traveling, raises ongoing concerns surrounding human rights and international relations with Iran.