Life ‘On Hold’ for Family of French National Detained in Iran

Cécile Kohler, the French teacher detained since May 7, 2022 in Iran with her partner (AFP)

The life of Noémie Kohler has been put on hold since her sister, Cécile Kohler, was detained on May 7, 2022 in Iran with her partner.
“We’re constantly anxious because we know where my sister is, we know she's being held in extremely difficult conditions, but we see almost no progress in her case,” the 34-year-old graphic designer told AFP.
On Tuesday, the family of Cécile will mark the second anniversary of the day she disappeared from their lives. Cécile, a French teacher, was on holiday in Iran with her partner Jacques Paris when she was detained on charges of espionage. Her sister still hopes for her release.
Last September, the Iranian judiciary announced that the investigation of Kohler and Paris had concluded and that the case had been referred to a court, where the two will go on trial.
Since the detention of Cécile, life has been “on hold” without any glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, says Noémie.
From prison, Cécile has been able to make short phone calls to her family almost every three weeks, but under strict surveillance.
“We are waiting for her calls, but we are also eager for news from the Quai d'Orsay,” the headquarters of the French Foreign Ministry in Paris, which keeps them regularly informed, Noémie says.
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné had a meeting on 31 January with the families of four French compatriots who have been arbitrarily held in Iran for months. Noémie also spoke of letters she exchanged with French President Emmanuel Macron about the situation of her sister.
However, the family is kept in the dark when it comes to any possible negotiations between Paris and Tehran.
“The phone call we are eager to receive is the one telling us Cécile is on the plane back home and that she already left Iranian airspace,” the sister says.
According to the sister, Cécile made the last call to her mother on April 13. "They spoke for three or four minutes. Cécile seemed exhausted and she said 'I can't take it anymore.' But she tried to reassure her family by saying: 'Hold on, be strong, I'm holding on.”
After several months of complete isolation, Cécile is now placed in a 9 meter square cell with other women. She is allowed three 30-minute outings a week and is possibly sleeping on a blanket on the floor, her sister says.
Her companion, Jacques Paris, is held in the same prison, but in the men's section, also under very strict conditions.
“The couple hasn’t met for the past year and a half. But since Christmas, the two meet for a few minutes when they contact us,” Noémie said.