French teacher Cécile Kohler was on holiday in Iran when she became one of dozens of European nationals used as pawns by the regime. Her sister Noémie explains the ongoing fight for her release
In a few weeks, the family of Cécile Kohler will mark the second anniversary of the day she disappeared from their lives. On 6 May 2022, the family say that the then 37-year-old French teacher was at the end of a sightseeing holiday with her partner Jacques Paris in Iran. She had been in regular contact, posting photos and updates to her family on WhatsApp. But then, two days before she was scheduled to fly home, Cécile’s social media fell silent.
At first the family thought that she must have had a long trip back to France and was too tired to check her messages. When she didn’t turn up to her job the following week, they called the French authorities.
Two days later, her younger sister, Noémie Kohler, was in a work meeting when her phone pinged with a message from her mother.
It always puzzled me when I see headlines like this. Why the f*** Westerners are keep going to these countries? Countries like Russia, NK, Iran or any other countries that hates westerners. China I can understand because they’re a must for most businessman. It’s like if black people went to a KKK gathering and surprised they get a beat up.
I mean, Iran is a beautiful country, it sucks that we can’t go see it while being safe. The ruins of Persepolis from 330 BC alone would make the trip worth while.
Humans, man. Sucks.
My friend lives in Iran. She often shows pictures of Iran’s beauty such as dried-up lakes and rivers because of dams.
Social brownie points, it enables them to look good in their friend circle by bragging about having been to countries like these.
Some people actually do things they enjoy like seeing new places. Not everything is for clout.
You can travel where you are welcome.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Video reports started to emerge on Iranian state-run news agencies that showed that the couple had been followed and placed under surveillance by the security services throughout their trip.
For two months the family and the French authorities desperately sought information from the Iranian state about what had happened to their daughter and her boyfriend, but received nothing.
On 6 October, the state-run IRNA news agency released a video of Cécile and Jacques “confessing” to being agents of the French intelligence services.
The French foreign ministry put out a statement saying: “The staging of their supposed confessions is shameful, revolting, unacceptable and contrary to international law.”
Noémie says that Cécile has been able to make sporadic phone calls from prison to her family, but that her sister is not able to speak freely.
“I see that the French authorities are working hard on bringing back our family members, but it’s been more than 690 days that my sister has been in the Evin prison.
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