A French couple, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been detained in Iran for more than three years, are now facing new charges of espionage on behalf of Israel and conspiring to overthrow the regime, according to reports by the AFP news agency citing a Western diplomatic source. The source emphasized there is “no basis” for the allegations.
The French Foreign Ministry issued a swift and strong condemnation, calling the couple’s detention “completely arbitrary” and demanding their release.
This development comes on the heels of recent reports that a group of Jews residing in Iran had also been arrested by the regime and cut off from contact with family and acquaintances. Rumors spread suggesting they were accused of spying for Israel and maintaining ties with Israeli agents, against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
The reports have sparked serious concern among Iran’s Jewish community, which fears the regime’s notorious record of false accusations and summary executions. However, Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish community’s representative in the Iranian parliament, dismissed the claims.
Sameh stated that the detained individuals were not arrested for espionage, but rather for holding unauthorized family celebrations, and that their release is expected shortly. “Their arrest has nothing to do with spying,” he said.
He added that during the recent “12-day war,” several Iranian Jews were killed and referred to as “martyrs of Zionist aggression,” asserting that this fact demonstrates the local Jewish community’s loyalty and support for Iran.
{Matzav.com}