French hostages in Iran are at mercy of regime's bargaining
Terrified by the attacks, the 40-year-old woman was barely sleeping. "Every night, she hears explosions," her sister Noémie Kohler said by phone. Are they phantom noises or real gunfire? The family lives in anxiety and uncertainty. After three years in detention, Kohler and Paris were indicted in late June by a revolutionary court for "espionage on behalf of Mossad [Israeli intelligence services]," "plotting to overthrow the government" and "corruption on earth" – charges that carry the death penalty. Is there any hope for release? "We no longer believe in it," sighed Noémie Kohler. The couple has now been joined by Lennart Monterlos, an 18-year-old French-German cyclist, arrested "for an offense," according to Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghtchi in an interview with Le Monde on July 10, without providing further details. A fourth French citizen has recently been arrested in Iran, Le Monde has learned, though neither the Iranian authorities nor Paris has disclosed any information
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Taxpayer group calls for criminal probes of two ex-Commissioners
An EU taxpayer interest group has filed criminal complaints with German domestic prosecutors and the EU Public Prosecutor's Office in Luxembourg against former EU commissioners Frans Timmermans and Virginius Sinkevicius, calling for the pair to be investigated for alleged unlawful payments to NGOs. Both served under European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's first mandate between 2019 and 2024. Dutchman Timmermans was Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Climate Action while Sinkevicius – who's now an MEP - was Commissioner for Environment and Oceans. The complaints were filed this week by the Taxpayers Association of Europe (TAE), a federation of national European taxpayers associations and organisations based in Munich and Brussels. 'There are suspicions that payments may have been made illegally,' according to a statement by the TAE. 'We therefore call for public prosecutors to investigate whether applicable law and the EU's principles of transparency and separation of powers have been violated,' the statement said, adding, 'If funds were transferred without appropriate oversight or involvement of other EU institutions, this would be an unacceptable violation of applicable law.' The complaint relates to media reports alleging that the former EU Commission 'financed non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with substantial sums without transparently disclosing these decisions or adequately explaining them,' TAE President Michael Jäger is cited as saying in the statement. 'We are also concerned with clarifying the general criminal liability of Commission officials for the EU's budgetary assets. A legal vacuum must not arise. Because all Europeans are equal before the law,' the statement said. German media reports on NGO funding German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag claimed in June that the EU executive had secretly paid environmental NGOs up to €700,000 to promote the bloc's climate policy. The Commission denied the allegations of secret payments and a spokesperson told Euronews that the executive exercises a high degree of transparency when it comes to providing funding to NGOs. Last month, three right-wing political groups sought unsuccessfully to establish an investigative committee on the issue at the European Parliament. Instead, the Parliament's political leaders agreed to form a working group within the Committee on Budgetary Control to scrutinise how the Commission funds non-governmental organisations. Meanwhile Transparency International EU director Nick Aiossa told Euronews that the claims of NGO's shadow-lobbying for the Commission have already been debunked. "These are already debunked stories that were circulated in February," said Aiossa, adding, "I simply don't understand why the German press would jump on this, unless, of course, it has a more political agenda behind it from the people who are leaking the contracts." Aiossa said that Commission funding of civil society to participate in public debate is a good thing, that a small circle of right-wing MEPs was responsible for leaking sensitive data to the press, and that Transparency would be filing a legal complaint on the issue. The Welt allegations first surfaced in February, and in April a parliamentary committee voted down a raft of amendments from right-wing lawmakers seeking to incorporate sharp criticism of EU funding for non-governmental organisations into the discharge of the bloc's 2023 budget. The allegations concerned EU funding for environmental NGOs through the LIFE operating grants. These are part of the EU's LIFE programme, a €5.4 billion budget (2021–2027) aimed at financing projects related to green innovation, circular economy, energy efficiency, nature conservation, and pollution reduction. Around €15.6 million of this is allocated to environmental NGOs via operating grants and under this scheme, individual organisations may receive up to €700,000 annually. Grants are awarded through open calls with clear eligibility criteria and NGOs are evaluated not by the Commission directly but by agencies such as, in the case of LIFE , the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Advocacy through lobbying is permitted but not required or directed under the grants. Each grant includes the disclaimer that 'views and opinions expressed' by NGOs 'do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union.' Grant conditions are public, and there is no requirement that applicants align their objectives with Commission interests to receive funding. Court of Auditors described funding system as 'opaque' In short, NGOs retain full autonomy over how they use the money, within legal and contractual boundaries. They are subject to transparency rules, must uphold EU values, and are routinely audited. If they fail to implement their work programmes, funding can be withdrawn. While much of the oversight relies on self-reporting – one of the main pitfalls of the system – the Commission is enhancing its risk-based verification following advice from the European Court of Auditors. In April 2025, the EU auditors labelled the Commission's funding process as 'opaque' and warned of potential reputational risks. However, it found no evidence during a year-long probe of any wrongdoing by either NGOs or European Commission officials. As a result, the Commission last year issued new guidance to prevent EU funding from being used for direct lobbying of EU institutions following these concerns. Jäger told Euronews that he expected to hear preliminary responses from the two prosecutors offices within around three months indicating whether they would consider investigating. According to the TAE, separate criminal complaints have also been filed in Austria in relation to the issue. The Commission, Timmermans and Sinkevicius have been contacted for comment.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
E3 countries' leaders press Israel to increase aid entering Gaza
The leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom demanded Israel allow unrestricted aid into Gaza to end a "humanitarian catastrophe," on Friday, a day after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognise a Palestinian state. The joint statement, issued after a call between Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for an immediate ceasefire and said that "withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable," though it broke no new diplomatic ground. The leaders said they "stand ready to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that leads to lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region," but did not say what that action might be. Exposing European divisions Macron's surprise announcement on Thursday exposed differences among the European allies, known as the E3, over how to ease the worsening humanitarian crisis and end the Israel-Hamas war. All three support a Palestinian state in principle, but Germany said it has no immediate plans to follow France's step, which Macron plans to formalise at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Britain has not followed suit either, but Starmer is under mounting pressure to formally recognise Palestinian statehood, both from opposition lawmakers and from members of his own Labour Party government. Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Tuesday called for an announcement "while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise." On Friday, 221 of the 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons signed a letter urging Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state. "Since 1980 we have backed a two-state solution. Such a recognition would give that position substance," said the letter, signed by legislators from several government and opposition parties. After the E3 call on Friday, Starmer condemned "the continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel's disproportionate military escalation in Gaza." He said that "recognition of a Palestinian state" must be one of the steps on a pathway to peace. "I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis," he said. More than 140 countries recognise a Palestinian state, including a dozen in Europe. But France is the first G7 country and the largest European nation to take that step. Israel and the United States both denounced France's decision. Britain has long supported the idea of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, but has said recognition should come as part of a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict. Any such solution appears far off. There had been no substantive Israel-Palestinian negotiations for years even before the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel that sparked the current war. Humanitarian crisis alarms Israel's allies The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger is spreading and children have starved to death, has caused alarm even among Israel's closest allies. Germany has traditionally been a particularly staunch ally of Israel in Europe, with relations rooted in the history of the Holocaust. It says recognising a Palestinian state should be "one of the concluding steps" in negotiating a two-state solution and it "does not plan to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term." But Berlin, too, has sharpened its tone recently, describing the Israeli military's actions in Gaza as unacceptable and pushing for greater humanitarian aid, but still appears to favour trying to influence Israeli officials by direct contact. The German government said in a statement on Friday that it is in a "constant exchange" with the Israeli government and other partners on issues that include a ceasefire in Gaza and the need to drastically improve humanitarian aid. It said it is "prepared to increase the pressure" if there is no progress, but didn't elaborate on how. Britain has halted some arms sales to Israel, suspended free trade talks and sanctions far-right government ministers, but Starmer is under intense pressure to do more.
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Israel considering alternatives to talks with Hamas, Netanyahu says
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that his government is considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks with Hamas after Israel and the US recalled their negotiating teams from Qatar, throwing the future of the negotiations into further uncertainty. Netanyahu's statement came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic. The teams left Doha on Thursday as President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Hamas' latest response to proposals for a deal showed a "lack of desire" to reach a truce. Witkoff said the US would look at "alternative options," without elaborating. In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu echoed Witkoff, saying, "Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal." "Together with our US allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region," he said. He did not give any further details about what the alternative options might be. Israel's government also didn't respond to whether negotiations would resume next week. Hamas official Bassem Naim said on Friday that the group was told that the Israeli delegation returned home for consultations and would return early next week to resume ceasefire negotiations. Pressure on Hamas Hamas said that Witkoff's remarks were meant to pressure the group for Netanyahu's benefit during the next round of talks and that in recent days negotiations had made progress. Naim said several gaps had been nearly solved, such as the agenda of the ceasefire, guarantees to continue negotiating to reach a permanent agreement and how humanitarian aid would be delivered. The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place. The deal under discussion is expected to include an initial 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting ceasefire. The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the conflict until Hamas gives up power and disarms. The militant group says it is prepared to leave power but not surrender its weapons. Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations, including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli forces approach. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza but fewer than half are believed to be alive. Their families say the start-stop talks are excruciating. "I thought that maybe something will come from the time that the negotiation, Israeli team were in Doha," said Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is being held hostage. "And when I heard that they're coming back, I ask myself: When will this nightmare end?" Worsening humanitarian situation A breakthrough on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has eluded the Trump administration as humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate in Gaza. Israel has come under mounting pressure as hunger among Gaza's more than 2 million people has worsened and deaths related to malnutrition have accelerated. In recent days more then two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. The charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to access enough food.
