Tehran: Iran has suggested that the release of two detained French nationals is near, with officials indicating that this action could be connected to a reciprocal prisoner swap. ‘The necessary procedures have been carried out, and we hope this matter will soon be finalized,’ stated Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

According to Ghana News Agency, in exchange for the French nationals, France is expected to release the jailed Iranian academic Mahdieh Esfandiari. Baghaei noted that the procedures are in progress, as reported by the ISNA news agency. The two French teachers, C©cile Kohler and Jacques Paris, were detained in May 2022 during their travels in Iran. They were accused of espionage and establishing contact with Iranian trade union activists. Meanwhile, France has accused Esfandiari of glorifying terrorist acts on social media, particularly in relation to the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Both Paris and Tehran have dismissed the charges against their respective nationals as unfounded.

In a separate development, a German-French teenager held in southern Iran was acquitted of espionage charges on Monday. The court in Hormozgan Province expressed doubts regarding the indictment by the prosecutor’s office. The 19-year-old, identified as Lennart M, was arrested in June while cycling through the province shortly after Israeli attacks on Iran. He was accused of spying for Israeli intelligence. It remains unclear whether he will be released soon, as the prosecutors may appeal the ruling.

Western governments and human rights organizations have long accused Iran of engaging in ‘hostage diplomacy’ by detaining foreign nationals as leverage for the release of Iranian assets or officials held abroad. Tehran denies these allegations and justifies the detainments with espionage charges.