Macron, wrote online that Olivier Grondeau had been freed, but offered no immediate details of what led to the release, though it came on Nowruz, the Persian new year, when Iran has released prisoners in the past.
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, posted a picture online of Grondeau smiling onboard what appeared to be a private jet.
“We will tirelessly continue our efforts to ensure that all our compatriots still held hostage, including Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, are in turn released,” Barrot wrote.
Macron also raised their cases, saying, “Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris must be freed from Iranian jails.”
“All my thoughts are with them and their families on this day.”
The Iranian government did not immediately acknowledge Grondeau’s release. Such releases of westerners in Iran typically come in exchange for something.
Earlier this week, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated France had arrested an Iranian woman who supported Palestinians, but said Tehran was still trying to gather more details about her case.
Grondeau was detained by Iranian authorities in October 2022 in the city of Shiraz.
