Iran Frees French Citizen Detained for Illegal Entry

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi says the country has released a French national who had been detained for unauthorized entry.

In response to IRNA’s question on Sunday, Qassemi said the French citizen has been freed in the past few days after legal proceedings were completed and other charges were dropped.

His comments came after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told lawmakers Wednesday France was in touch with Iran to improve the conditions of the woman arrested in October on Iran’s Persian Gulf island of Kish for allegedly signing an illegal mining contract.

Qasemi did not give further details, but Le Drian said on Wednesday that the woman was held “on the grounds of having signed an illegal contract and carrying out a non-authorized trip”.

Nelly Erin-Cambervelle, a 59-year-old businesswoman from Martinique, had been on Kish – a free-trade zone allowing visa-free entry for visitors from most countries – as part of her import-export business.

Details over her arrest first appeared in Martinique media last week after Patricia Gros-Desirs Dicanot, a friend and colleague, was quoted as saying that Erin-Cambervelle had been arrested for illegally buying gold after originally going to Kish to begin negotiating a minerals contract.

“The consular services have been able to meet her several times and are very concerned about her situation,” Le Drian said on Wednesday. “We are in touch with the family and with the Iranian authorities to ensure that Mrs Erin’s situation improves, while respecting Iranian procedures.”

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