French Citizen Held in Iran, Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

France has denounced an action taken by an Iranian court that sentenced a French national to five years in prison.

Louis Arnaud, a banking consultant who has been held in Iran’s Evin prison for over a year, was tried on national security charges.

The charges handed down by a Revolutionary Court include propaganda against and seeking to harm the security of the Islamic republic, the family said in a statement.

His family called the charges “baseless” and said that Arnaud, who they described as a “passionate traveler,” didn’t get involved with political movements while in Iran. The family added that Arnaud has appealed the sentence.

The French foreign ministry immediately condemned the ruling, calling the sentence “unacceptable” and saying that “there is no evidence” to support the ruling as Arnaud has no access to a lawyer.

“We call for his immediate release, as well as that of all French citizens arbitrarily detained in Iran,” the ministry said in a statement.

Iran has not confirmed the sentencing, and Iranian media has not reported on the court ruling.

Three other French citizens are currently held by Iran: teacher Cecile Kohler and her partner, Jacques Paris, and a man identified only by his first name, Olivier. France has described Iran’s keeping of French prisoners as state hostage taking.

Iran released French prisoners Bernard Phelan, who also is an Irish citizen, and Benjamin Briere in May after their health worsened following a hunger strike. French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah was also able to return to France in October after he was held for four and a half years.

Iran has set free several other prisoners, including five Americans in a deal that released billions of dollars of Iranian funds that had been frozen in a South Korean account.

Some information in this report was taken from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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