Both Tehran and Paris possess the necessary resolve to address their ongoing prisoner “issue,” according to Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei. His statement on Monday, October 20, 2025, comes just a week after an Iranian court handed down significant prison terms to two French nationals.
“We are taking this matter seriously and believe there is a genuine desire on both sides to reach a resolution,” Baghaei stated during a weekly press conference, addressing questions about the potential for a prisoner exchange.
Currently, Cecile Kohler and her partner, Jacques Paris, are the only two French citizens detained in Iran, having been held since 2022. In a related development, Iran has accused France of unjustly detaining Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian student residing in Lyon, who was arrested earlier this year following posts on social media critical of Israel.