Activist Claims Iran Uses War to Mask Executions of Dissidents

Sheida Rabari, an Iranian activist, has highlighted a troubling increase in the execution of political dissidents under the Islamic regime. She emphasizes that the government is intensifying its pressures on citizens, even making threats of arrest and execution public. A particularly harrowing case she mentioned is that of 18-year-old protester Amir Hussein Hamedi, whose execution exemplifies the regime’s cruelty.

In related news, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that Cécile Correll and Jacques Paris, both French nationals, were freed by Iran after spending “three and a half years in detention.” The couple was detained in May 2022 during a trip to Iran, where state media accused them of espionage and inciting unrest. France had previously condemned their arrest as baseless and unjust.

Macron expressed relief at their release, stating, “Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been released after three and a half years in Iranian detention and are on their way to French territory. This is a relief for all of us and certainly for their families.” He also took a moment to thank the Omani authorities for their mediation, along with others who worked tirelessly for their return.

Highlighting the conditions of their detention, the French Foreign Ministry stated that they were “held in shameful conditions” and allowed only four consular visits under highly restrictive circumstances. Reports indicate that although Iranian authorities released them from prison in November, they initially weren’t allowed to leave the country.

French officials confirmed that they were kept at the French embassy in Tehran until they could safely depart from Iran on Tuesday.