French tourists who had been detained by Iranian authorities for more than two years have been released and returned to France, President Emmanuel Macron said.
Olivier Grohndeau, 34, is “free,” and along with his family, Macron wrote to X on Thursday, adding that he “shares the great happiness and relief of his family.”
Grohndeau was arrested in southern Iran in October 2022 and sentenced to five years in prison for a “conspiracy against the Islamic Republic.” His family has always denied the accusation.
The Iranian regime has arrested many tourists and double citizens in recent years, primarily on espionage and national security charges.
French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barlott posted a photo of Grondeau on a plane home on Thursday.
“After being held hostages in Iran for 887 days, he has reunited with his family, his loved ones and his country. It’s a great relief,” he writes.
Speaking publicly for the first time since his arrest in January, Grondow said he was “confined to hostages” by authorities.
His family described him as a passionate fan of Persian poetry who traveled to Iran on a tourist visa as part of a world tour.
Two other French citizens are currently in detention in Iran.
Teacher and her partner, Cecil Kohler of Jacques Paris, was taken into custody in May 2022 and accused of trying to stir up protests denied by her family.
With concerns about their health growing, France has repeatedly lobbyed for their release.
“Cecil Kohler and Jacques Paris must be released from Iranian prisons,” Macron said in his post Thursday.
Human rights groups say tourists and double citizens are often held for leverage in diplomatic negotiations.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed last month that British couples Craig and Lindsey Foreman were in custody.
They have been charged with spying, and Iranian state media reports it is being held in the southeastern city of Carman.
In January, Italian journalist Cecilia Sarah, 29, returned to Rome after several weeks in an Iranian prison. Reports say she was in solitary confinement at Tehran’s infamous Evin prison.
