Europeans are trapped in Iran as conflict escalates
TOPSHOT - Missiles fired from Iran are pictured in the night sky over Jerusalem on June 14, 2025. Israel and Iran exchanged fire on June 14, a day after Israel unleashed an unprecedented aerial bombing campaign that Iran said hit its nuclear facilities, "martyred" top commanders and killed dozens of civilians (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)
Europeans are trapped in Tehran amid Israeli bombardments, fears emerge for the safety of detained foreign nationals and political prisoners who remain trapped in the capital Iran with no way to escape, Al-Monitor reported on June 18th.
Rights organisations say Iran is holding around 20 Europeans, many without publicised cases. Several Western government’s view this as part of a deliberate strategy to detain foreign citizens as leverage for diplomatic gains.
Many are held in Evin prison, a notorious, high-security facility in northern Tehran, where reports of abuse are widespread. The prison sits alarmingly close to recent airstrikes, intensifying concerns about detainees’ survival.
French nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, were arrested in 2022 on disputed espionage charges and there was hope they would be released in March, the BBC reported on March 20th. However they remain imprisoned without contact. “Since May 30th, we’ve had no news, no sign of life from Jacques and Cecile,” said Kohler’s sister Noemie.
She added: “We saw that at least two strikes took place about two kilometres from where they are being held… we suspect they must have heard the explosions, but we have no idea how they are doing.” She urged authorities to organise a “humanitarian exfiltration”, warning that the couple faces the “imminent danger of death”.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed 20 European citizens are imprisoned in Iran under similar conditions, including “teachers, academics, journalists [and] tourists”. France has urged both Tehran and Tel Aviv to take urgent measures to protect and release Kohler and Paris.
Among those who were known to be detained is Iranian-Swedish academic Ahmadreza Djalali, who was sentenced to death in 2017 on charges dismissed as baseless by his family. Rights groups say his life, and those of eight others convicted under similar accusations, hangs in the balance, following the recent execution of Esmail Fekri.
As residents flee the capital, families of those still jailed speak out. “My dad is in prison. Can you tell me, how can my father evacuate Tehran?” asked Mehraveh Khandan, daughter of rights activist Reza Khandan.
Al-Monitor, BBC
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