Iran Slams France’s Stance on Iranian, French Detainees

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran has denounced the French Foreign Ministry’s meddlesome comments about two Iranian and French nationals who have been arrested in Iran.

Seyyed Abbas Mousavi made the reaction on Sunday when asked about the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs’ move to summon the Iranian ambassador to Paris and its recent statement.

Mousavi said, “The French Foreign Ministry’s statement about an Iranian national is an interventionist measure, and we deem that France’s request lacks legal basis, because the concerned individual (Ms. Adelkhah) is an Iranian citizen and has been taken into custody on a charge of ‘committing an act of espionage’, while her attorney has been informed of details of the case, and her case is being handled by the Judiciary.”

On a French citizen who is in custody on a charge of “assembly and collusion against national security”, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “He has had access to consular services several times, and his lawyer is informed about his charges and is in contact with the Judiciary authorities.”

“The smear campaigns could not prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Judiciary from dealing with these cases, particularly concerning the security charges against those two individuals,” Mousavi concluded.

Adelkhah, a 60-year-old anthropologist and researcher at Sciences Po’s Center for International Studies (CERI) in Paris, and her colleague Roland Marchal were arrested in Iran in June on espionage charge.

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