The trial of Cécile Kohler, a French literature teacher and member of the French teachers’ union Force Ouvrière, is scheduled for Sunday, November 24, 2024.
According to Kolbarnews, Noémie Kohler, the sister of Cécile Kohler, announced the trial date for her sibling, who has been detained in Iran for over two years and five months. Kohler, 40, was arrested along with her husband Jacques Paris during a visit to Iran, accused of baseless espionage charges linked to Iran’s teachers’ movement protests. She remains imprisoned without a formal resolution to her case.
In a statement on November 6, 2023, Noémie Kohler, who leads a committee advocating for her sister’s release, expressed grave concerns about her sister’s condition and demanded her immediate freedom.
Cécile Kohler has been the head of international relations for France’s largest teachers’ federation, the Fédération Nationale de la Culture et de l’Enseignement Professionnel, since 2016. She is also a prominent figure in union activities and a significant member of Education International, which includes 401 unions, councils, and organizations in 127 countries.
In a broader context, Iran has previously detained several European citizens under espionage accusations, often using them as leverage in negotiations for releasing Iranian assets or individuals. In September 2022, another French citizen, Louis Arnaud, was also arrested in Tehran. This aligns with Iran’s pattern of detaining European nationals to exert diplomatic pressure, such as securing the release of Hamid Nouri, implicated in the 1988 mass executions of Iranian political prisoners.
