Cécile Kohler is a French teacher,[1] union activist and member of the National Federation of Education, Culture and Vocational Training.[2] She and her husband were arrested in Iran in May 2022 on charges of "attempting to incite unrest and helping teachers strike in Iran" by the Ministry of Intelligence.[3]
Cécile Kohler | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cécile Kohler |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, union activist |
| Known for | Arrested on charges of "attempting to incite unrest and helping teachers strike in Iran" |
| Spouse | Jacques Paris |
Arrests
Kohler and her husband Jacques Paris were arrested in Iran in May 1, 2022 on charges of "attempting to incite unrest and helping teachers strike in Iran" by the Ministry of Intelligence.[4][5]
Forced confession
A film of their forced confession was aired on the Islamic Republic TV and they confessed to spying for the French security and intelligence apparatus.[6][7]
On October 6, the state-run IRNA news agency published a video of Kohler and Paris' "confession" to French intelligence agents.[8][9]
Reactions
The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "The staging of their supposed confessions is shameful, disgusting, unacceptable and contrary to international law."[10][11]
On April 4, more than one hundred people demonstrated in Paris to support the French nationals imprisoned in Iran and to request their release.[12][13] In this protest meeting, which was held in Place de la République following the call of the families of four French prisoners, the demonstrators displayed placards with the photos and names of Kohler, Paris, Louis Arnaud and a citizen named "Olivier".[14][15]