France has filed a lawsuit against Iran at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a bid to secure the release of two French nationals detained by the Islamic Republic. Cécile Kohler, a modern literature teacher, and her partner Jacques Paris were arrested on May 8, 2022, while visiting Iran as tourists. The couple has been held in detention as “state hostages” ever since, with the French government condemning the practice of hostage-taking as part of Iran’s broader strategy.
The lawsuit alleges that Iran’s actions are part of a broader policy that targets foreign nationals, particularly French citizens, as a means of exerting pressure on France. France contends that Iran is using the couple as leverage to coerce the French government into extraditing individuals accused of terrorism. The claim is supported by a message from Paris to his daughter, in which he conveyed that Iran was willing to release them in exchange for the transfer of alleged terrorists to Iran.
France’s lawsuit is grounded in the 1979 International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages, which defines hostage-taking as the act of detaining individuals to compel a state to do or refrain from doing something as a condition for their release. France is also seeking a declaration from the ICJ that Iran violated its obligations under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Rights (VCCR) of 1963, which guarantees the right of states to provide consular assistance to their nationals abroad.
France claims that Iran failed to notify it of the detention of Kohler and Paris, despite France reaching out on May 11, 2022, just three days after their disappearance. Iran only confirmed their detention over a month later, on June 18, 2022. Additionally, France argues that Iran obstructed consular access to the detainees, allowing only four brief visits over the course of more than 1,100 days of detention.
This legal action follows a March warning from the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, who condemned the rising practice of hostage-taking, particularly in Iran. Edwards highlighted the psychological and physical trauma inflicted on hostages, who often endure prolonged solitary confinement and torture.
The case continues to garner international attention as France seeks justice for its citizens and calls for an end to the use of human beings as political pawns.
International Court of-Justice ICJ Palais de la Paix on Wikipedia by Lybil
