France seeks to raise pressure on Iran over couple's detention
PARIS (Reuters) - Supporters of two French citizens held in Iran for three years staged rallies on Wednesday to demand their release as France's foreign ministry said it would soon file a legal complaint against Tehran at the International Court of Justice.
Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris have been held since May 2022. Iranian state television aired a video later that year with them appearing to confess to acting on behalf of French intelligence services, which Paris categorically denies.
France has accused Iran of keeping Kohler and Paris in conditions akin to torture in Tehran's Evin prison and not allowing proper consular protection. Iranian officials deny the charge.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said France would file a legal complaint in the coming days at the ICJ over the issue of consular protection.
"It is necessary to recall one thing: Cecile and Jacques are innocent and are being held arbitrarily under shocking, inhumane conditions," Lemoine told reporters.
Supporters of Kohler, a 40-year-old humanities teacher, and Paris, 71, a former maths teacher, gathered in Paris and eastern France on Wednesday to mark their three years in prison.
French officials have toughened their language in recent months towards Iran, notably over the advancement of its nuclear programme and regional activities, but also the detention of European citizens in the country.
Lemoine said about 20 European nationals were being held in Iran ranging from researchers to journalists and tourists.
France was behind a push by the European Union in April to add sanctions on Iranian officials and entities linked to the judicial and prison system. French officials said further sanctions could not be ruled out.
In recent years, Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security.
Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests.
Iran, which does not recognise dual nationality, denies taking prisoners to gain diplomatic leverage.
(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US energy loan office should fund oil, gas, White House aide says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Energy Department's loan office should fund oil and gas infrastructure, a White House aide said on Tuesday. "One of the big problems is, in the past the ... loan program office has been used for a lot of these renewable projects," Jarrod Agen, a deputy assistant to the president and executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council, said at a Politico conference on energy. The Loan Programs Office grew rapidly under former President Joe Biden, thanks to legislation passed during his term, and has hundreds of billions of dollars in loan and loan guarantee capacity. Agen said the administration is changing the priority of the LPO, which is meant to help finance emerging energy projects that show promise but face difficulties getting bank loans. "So, yes, we want to invest more and prioritize projects that are oil and gas-related, nuclear-related," Agen said. President Donald Trump's new energy dominance council has focused on increasing already record-high oil and gas output and cutting climate and pollution regulations on fossil fuels. In his first term, Trump only used the LPO to finance the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia. The Trump administration wants to offer tens of billions of dollars in LPO financing over the next two years to projects developing nuclear and geothermal power and minerals used in everything from wind and solar power to weapons systems, according to the White House budget for fiscal 2026. Republicans in the House have pushed to slash LPO's lending. Sign in to access your portfolio


The Hill
17 minutes ago
- The Hill
Ahead of UN climate talks, Brazil fast-tracks oil and highway projects that threaten the Amazon
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — Months before hosting the U.N.'s first climate talks held in the Amazon, Brazil is fast-tracking a series of controversial decisions that undercut President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's lofty environmental rhetoric and show widening divisions within his cabinet. The country's federal environmental agency approved plans for offshore drilling near the mouth of the Amazon and rock blasting along another river in the rainforest, while Congress is moving to make it harder to recognize Indigenous land and easier to build infrastructure in the rainforest. These efforts would be controversial in normal times. But on the eve of the COP30 climate summit, environmental advocates say they're undermining Lula's claims to be an environmental defender whose administration has made headway in slowing deforestation in the Amazon. 'What will Brazil show up with at COP30 in November?' asked Cleberson Zavaski, president of the National Association of Environmental Public Servants. 'Will it be, once again, a list of commitments that contradict what the country itself is putting on the table today — such as expanding the highway network and oil exploitation?' Protecting the environment was a central part of Lula's presidential campaign in 2022, when he ran against President Jair Bolsonaro, who presided over increasing deforestation and illegal activities in the Amazon, such as gold mining and land-grabbing. But when Brazil's environmental protection agency rejected the bid of Petrobras, the country's state-run oil company, to conduct exploratory drilling in an about 160 kilometers (99 miles) off Brazil's Amazonian coast, Lula supported the company's appeal and in February criticized the agency for taking too long, saying it 'seems like it's working against the government.' On May 19, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources or IBAMA, approved an emergency plan to allow the drilling. A week later, IBAMA approved a rock-blasting operation along 40 km (25 miles) of the Tocantins River to enable year-round navigation, despite criticism from local grassroots organizations. The river, which cuts through the Amazon rainforest, is set to become a critical waterway to ship soybeans, mainly to China. The Federal Prosecutor's Office said the authorization was illegal because it failed to address issues highlighted during the environmental study, and filed a lawsuit seeking to have it overturned. Since taking office in 2023, Lula has argued that Brazil can both further its development while protecting the environment. 'France, the U.K., Norway and the U.S. also produce oil. And Brazil has the cleanest energy mix in the world: 90% of our electricity comes from renewables,' Lula said in an interview to French newspaper Le Monde published last week. Brazil gets most of its own electricity from hydropower and other green energies, while its oil exports, a major source of income for the country, are on the rise. Emails to the president's chief of staff seeking comment were not answered. On May 21, the Senate approved sweeping legislation that weakens federal agencies' environmental licensing powers. Among other measures, the bill streamlines review for projects deemed priorities by the federal government, reducing the approval process from three bureaucratic steps to one and imposing a one-year deadline for review. It also elimates reviews for upgrades to existing highways, which could clear the way for to pave the whole of BR-319, a highway that runs about 900 kilometers (560 miles) through the western part of the Amazon. Environmentalists argue that the paving will lead to mass clearing of a pristine area of rainforest. The bill is opposed by Lula's Workers' Party, but it's expected to pass the lower chamber of Congress. Lula could veto all or parts of the bill, but according to press reports he is expected to support of the bulk of the changes with only minor adjustments. Lula has said he has no position on the environmental bill. Meanwhile, Congress has also approved rules that make it harder demarcate Indigenous lands and is moving forward with legislation to weaken licensing rules that, among other impacts. The bill is opposed by Lula's Workers' Party, but according to several press reports Lula will support of the bulk of the changes and will only negotiate minor adjustments. 'It's the perfect combo to wipe out environmental protections and Indigenous land demarcations in the country, accelerate the tipping point of the world's largest tropical forest and set off a carbon bomb against the global climate,' Climate Observatory, a network of 133 environmental, civil society and academic groups, said in a statement. Former U.S. Interior Interior Bruce Babbitt, who sits on the board of the nonprofit Amazon Conservation, said in a statement that the bill 'will lead to massive destruction of the Amazon rainforest. It should be opposed by all Brazilians and friends of Brazil in the international community.' The licensing bill has also deepened internal divisions within Brazil's government. Environment Minister Marina Silva said the law will end one of Brazil's crucial mechanisms of environmental protection, but she appears increasingly sidelined in the administration. Local media have reported that Lula's Chief of Staff Rui Costa promised the bill's sponsor that Lula would not oppose changes to licensing rules, and Minister of Transportation Renan Filho said in a social media post that the bill is 'excellent' news that will get the highway project moving. At a press conference last week, Lula praised Silva, calling her 'loyal' and adding that it's normal to have friction between the environmental and other ministries of government. But many see echoes of Lula's previous administration, during which Silva resigned from the same post after being marginalized by the rising influence of agribusiness. João Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary of the environment ministry, reiterated her criticism of the bill in a speech last week, calling it a 'real risk of setback.' He added that Silva is working with Lula's cabinet toward 'a point of convergence between those who seek efficiency — and deserve a response — and the need to preserve the system without dismantling environmental licensing.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
China Extends Probe Into EU Pork Imports
China said Tuesday that it would extend a yearlong probe into pork imports from the European Union, as Beijing seeks to bolster ties with the 27-member bloc amid heightened trade tensions with the U.S. The Chinese Commerce Ministry decided to extend its antidumping investigation into EU pork products by six months to Dec. 16, citing the complexity of the case, according to an official notice. Think Twice Before You Click 'Unsubscribe' The Canned-Food Aisle Is Getting Squeezed by Rising Steel Tariffs The Best New Features Coming to Your iPhone, iPad and Mac (and What's Missing) FTC Seeks Information From Top Advertising Agencies as Part of Ad-Boycott Probe Judge Tosses Justin Baldoni's Lawsuits Against Blake Lively and New York Times The probe was launched last June in response to the EU's decision to slap antisubsidy levies on Chinese electric vehicles and was originally set to conclude later this month. Most of the EU's pork exports go to East Asia, in particular China, with Germany, Spain and France among the biggest producers, according to the European Commission. Tuesday's announcement is viewed as another goodwill gesture by Beijing, as Chinese leaders launch a global charm offensive to improve relations with major economic partners amid a trading fight with Washington. Back in April, Beijing extended a similar probe into brandy imports from the EU by three months to July and expanded Spanish pork exporters' access to the Chinese market through bilateral trade agreements. Earlier this month, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao talked with EU trade officials over a range of issues including Chinese EVs and export controls during a trip to France. In a statement after Wang's trip, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said negotiations with the EU on setting minimum prices for Chinese-made EVs have entered its final stages. Wang also said in his meetings with European counterparts that China will accelerate approvals of qualified rare-earth exports to Europe, adding that he hopes the EU can bolster exports of high-tech products to the country, according to the ministry. In retaliation against President Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April, China slapped new export controls on seven types of rare-earth minerals that are needed for a range of products including electronics, cars and advanced defense equipment. Such restrictions from the world's dominant rare-earth supplier have become a headache for global businesses, especially American and European automakers, many of which have warned of significant disruption in the global supply chain. Tuesday's extension also came as senior officials from China and the U.S. are meeting in London for their second round of talks with export controls taking the center stage. Write to Singapore Editors at singaporeeditors@ Alexander Brothers File $500 Million Defamation Suit Against The Real Deal Warner Discovery Splits Cable From Marquee Streaming, Studio Businesses Apple Unveils Array of New Software, but AI Comeback Remains Far Off Disney to Pay NBCUniversal Another $438.7 Million for Hulu Stake Businesses Are Bingeing on Crypto, Dialing Up the Market's Risks Errore nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati