Iran airs video with 2 French citizens accused of spying

Iran on Thursday published video showing two detained French citizens accused of spying amid ongoing protests roiling the country that Tehran has sought to describe as a foreign plot instead of local anger over the death of a 22-year-old detained by the country’s morality police.

The video released by the state-run IRNA news agency showed two French citizens, Cecile Kohler and Jacque Paris, who are unionists associated with France’s National Federation of Education, Culture and Vocational Training.

Iran, which long has used detained Westerners as bargaining chips in negotiations, previously has offered no public evidence to support the spying accusations.

The European Union will weigh possible sanctions in coming weeks against Iran, Josep Borrell, the 27-nation bloc’s foreign policy chief, said Thursday. He declined to describe the measures to be considered when the E.U.’s foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg on Oct. 17.

The developments come as Iran is roiled by weeks of protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being detained by the country’s morality police.

The outpouring of anger in Iran — largely led by young women and directed at the government’s male leadership — has created a seminal moment for the country, spurring some of the largest and boldest protests against the country’s Islamic leadership seen in years.

The clips out Thursday resembled other videos of Tehran has forced prisoners to make. In 2020, one report suggested authorities over the decade had aired at least 355 coerced confession.

In the clips, Kohler wears a headscarf and purportedly describes herself as an “intelligence and operation agent of French foreign security service.” Paris purportedly says: “Our goals in French foreign security service is put pressure on Iran’s government.”

The clips are part of what is described as a forthcoming documentary to air on Iranian state television that will accuse them of bringing cash to the country to stir dissent.

France did not immediately respond to the release of the video clips. However in May, the French government demanded their release and condemned “these baseless arrests.”

Their visit to Iran coincides with months of protests by teachers for higher wages in the country.

Any sanctions by the E.U. would fall under the bloc’s “Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.” It was set up two years ago so the bloc can “target individuals, entities and bodies – including state and non-state actors – responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide.”

Other human rights violations or abuses can be included “if they are widespread, systematic or otherwise of serious concern.”

These measures usually consist of travel bans and asset freezes on officials accused of involvement in any suspect abuses or “entities,” like banks, companies, agencies or other organizations. It prevents E.U. citizens from making funds available to those listed.