• Iran has released Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris after more than three years in prison.
• The French nationals were sentenced on espionage charges their families reject as unfounded.
• French President Macron expressed "immense relief" over their conditional release.
• Talks are ongoing to facilitate their return to France as soon as possible.
• The release is seen within the context of tensions between Iran and Western nations.

The Iranian government has officially released two French nationals, Cécile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, after they had been imprisoned for more than three years on charges of espionage, which their families have consistently denied. French President Emmanuel Macron announced their release, stating they were on their way to the French embassy in Tehran and that efforts were underway for their prompt return to France. Their legal team emphasized that this release concluded an "arbitrary detention" lasting 1,277 days, according to Le Monde, Al Jazeera, and Africanews.

Both Kohler and Paris were arrested in May 2022 during what they described as a holiday in Iran, subsequently accused of spying for France and Israel. Their lengthy prison sentences—20 years for Kohler and 17 years for Paris—were met with condemnation from the French government, who labeled the charges as "unjustified and unfounded." The couple's supporters have accused Iran of employing "hostage-taking" tactics to negotiate concessions with Western nations, according to reports from Le Monde, Al Jazeera, and Africanews.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that both individuals were now in good health at the residence of the French ambassador, awaiting further developments in their case. However, he indicated that they are under conditional release, which includes judicial oversight until the next phase of their legal proceedings, as stated by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This situation continues to unfold amid heightened tensions in international relations, particularly following the recent conflicts involving Iran and Western countries, according to Le Monde, Al Jazeera, and Africanews.

Following their release, speculation has arisen about a possible prisoner swap between France and Iran. In a related context, Iran has previously suggested that negotiating their freedom could involve the release of Iranian citizen Mahdieh Esfandiari, who faces terrorism-related charges in France. The ongoing discussions reflect the fraught landscape of international diplomacy regarding hostage situations and mutual legal matters, as mentioned in Le Monde, Al Jazeera, and Africanews.