French couple imprisoned in Iran for more than three years has been released, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.

Cécile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, were on their way to the French embassy in Tehran, Macron wrote on X.

“The dialogue continues to ensure that they can return to France as quickly as possible,” Macron said, calling their release an “immense relief.”

France had demanded the couple’s release and accused Iran of holding the pair as state hostages.

Kohler and Paris, both teachers, although the man had retired, according to French media, were arrested during a trip to Iran in May 2022.

Authorities had accused them of espionage and of establishing contact with Iranian trade union activists.

In mid-October, Iran’s judiciary sentenced them to 17 and 20 years in prison.

The French citizens were released on bail by order of a judge, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said early Wednesday, according to a statement from the ministry.

They are to remain under supervision until the “next legal phase,” though it remains unclear when that step will take place.

Western governments and human rights organisations have long accused Iran of engaging in “hostage diplomacy” by detaining foreign nationals as leverage for the release of Iranian assets or officials held abroad.

Tehran denied these allegations and justified the detentions with espionage charges.

The releases came two weeks after Iran had announced that one of its nationals, Mahdieh Esfandiari, had been freed from detention in France and placed under house arrest.

According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, Esfandiari had been held in pre-trial detention since early 2025 and was accused of glorifying terrorist acts, including Hamas’ attacks of October 7, 2023, on social media.

Observers say the timing suggests that the two cases may be part of a prisoner exchange.

France has toughened its stance towards Tehran in recent months to increase pressure over the detained French citizens.

In January, the Iranian ambassador was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry.

In March, another French citizen was freed after 887 days in Iranian detention.

Relations between Iran and European governments have reached a new low, amid tensions over Tehran’s nuclear programme. 

(dpa/NAN)