This is the first time he has spoken publicly. Olivier Grondeau, a Frenchman detained in Iran, has chosen to reveal his name and come out of anonymity, reveals France Info this Monday, January 13. This 34-year-old man was arrested in Shiraz, southern Iran, on October 12, 2022, while he was on a world tour on a tourist visa.
Sentenced in February 2024, he is serving a five-year prison sentence for “espionage and conspiracy against the Islamic Republic”. He is currently locked up in the sinister Evin prison in Tehran, in the wing for foreigners and dual nationals.
Political blackmail
In an audio recording from December 19, 2024 with his loved ones, to whom he can speak once a week, Olivier Grondeau proclaims his innocence and says he is a victim “political blackmail” between France and Iran. He explains that he chose to reveal his identity because of his “state of exhaustion”despite the risks.
The prisoner says he shares his cell with 18 other inmates. He has access to the library and is starting to receive books sent to him by the French embassy, reports France Info. He speaks of arbitrary detention, which has become unbearable for him, and says he is exhausted. He still hopes that his request for parole will be granted.
“You, who have the power to influence this matter, hear this truth. Cécile’s strength, Jacques’ strength, Olivier’s strength are running out.”he says in this telephone statement, in reference to his two compatriots Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, also detained in Iran since 2022. “Your responsibility is committed to the survival of three human beings”he added. According to him, the couple suffered even harsher detention conditions than his own.
The Quai d’Orsay, which summoned the Iranian ambassador to Paris on Friday January 10, demands the immediate release of the three French people whom it considers to be “state hostages”. “Their situation is unbearable, with undignified conditions of detention, which, for some, amount to torture under international law”underlined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.
Update : at 9:08 a.m. with more details.
