HRANA News Agency – The full identity of Olivier Grondeau, a French citizen detained in Iran, has been disclosed. Previously identified only by his first name, Mr. Grondeau highlighted his dire situation, along with that of two other French detainees in Iran, in an audio message aired by the French public radio station France Inter. He also appealed to French authorities for urgent assistance.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Olivier Grondeau, a 34-year-old French national, revealed in the audio recording that he and two other French prisoners are enduring harsh conditions in Iranian custody. This revelation follows earlier remarks by the French Foreign Minister, who criticized Iran for detaining three French nationals and had previously mentioned Mr. Grondeau only by his first name.
Mr. Grondeau’s mother told France Inter that her son was arrested in Shiraz in October 2022 (Mehr 1401) and subsequently sentenced to five years in prison on charges related to national security. She refuted the allegations, emphasizing that Olivier traveled to Iran solely as a tourist and out of a deep interest in Persian poetry.
The two other detainees, Cécile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, have been in Iranian custody since May 2022 (Ordibehesht 1401). Iranian authorities accuse them of inciting labor protests—an allegation their families vehemently deny.
In the audio message, Mr. Grondeau urged French officials to act swiftly, saying, “Cécile’s strength, Jacques’ strength, and Olivier’s strength are running out.” He appealed to authorities to “guarantee the lives of these three individuals.”
In response, the French government has summoned Iran’s ambassador and strongly condemned the detention of its three citizens.
HRANA – Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old young woman, was arrested by the morality police for the crime of improper hijab. Her arrest and death in detention fueled nationwide protests in Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws, and structure of the regime. The following 486-page report is dedicated to the statistical review, analysis, and summary of the first eighty-two days of the ongoing protests (September 17 to December 7, 2022). In this report, in addition to the geographic analysis and the presentation of maps and charts, the identity of 481 deceased, including 68 children and teenagers, an estimated of 18,242 arrested along with the identity of 3,670 arrested citizens, 605 students and 61 journalists or activists in the field of information is compiled. In addition, the report includes a complete collection of 1988 verified video reports by date and topic. The report examines protests across 1115 documented gatherings in all 31 provinces of the country, including 160 cities and 143 universities.
Summary
Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a young 22-year-old woman from Saqqez, Kurdistan was visiting Tehran, when she was taken into custody on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, by the Morality Police officers at the Haqqani metro station in Tehran. The reason for her arrest: not properly observing the strict Islamic dress code. Mahsa/Zhina was taken to the infamous detention center of Moral Security Police known as Vozara.
Shortly after Mahsa’s arrest, she went into a coma with level three concussion, and her partially alive body was transferred to the intensive care unit of Kasra Hospital. Given the track record of the police and Guidance Patrols in mistreating the arrestees and similar previous incidents, with the believe that Mahsa was beaten during the arrest people were outraged.
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Unpersuasive explanations given by the Central Command of the Islamic Republic Police Force (FARAJA) in defense of its actions regarding the death of Mahsa, the past performance of the police force, along with widespread dissatisfaction with the existence of a body called the Moral Security Police, fueled widespread protests in Iran.
The widespread protests sparked at the time Mahsa Amini was announced dead in front of Kasra Hospital on Argentina Street in Tehran, and then quickly spread to the streets despite the intimidating presence of Iran’s security forces. The protests intensified after Mahsa’s burial in a Saqqez cemetery. To the extent that after eighty-two days of nationwide protests between September 17, 2022, to December 7, 2022, they have spread to Iran’s all 31 provinces, 160 cities, and 143 major universities.
The protests did not stay limited to Mahsa’s death, it rather, quickly targeted the Iranian government’s political and ideological foundations. These protests were violently quashed by the anti-riot police and Iran’s militia force (Basij). teargas, pellets, and live ammunition were used in the repression of protestors. This widespread crackdown has led to the death of dozens of people and the wounding of hundreds of protestors.
Despite sever communication restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic, this report attempts to give a clearer picture of the first 82 days of the protests between September 17, to December 7, 2022. It’s worth mentioning at the time of this report the protests are still ongoing in various forms.
HRANA has identified a European national who is jailed in Evin prison. Kees Lunenburg, a Dutch national, is currently serving his five-year sentence in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. Polish Maciej Walczak, who was sentenced to three years, is also housed in the same ward.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Dutch national Kees Lunenburg is currently jailed in Ward 8 of Evin Prison. HRANA has received variants of this individual’s last name and will update its database accordingly.
The about-mentioned detained Dutch national was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the charge of “assembly and collusion to act against national security.” HRANA is trying to find out new details about his case.
Polish scientist Maciej Walczak is housed in the same ward. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland has confirmed his arrest. Iran has claimed that Walczak and three others were arrested as they were collecting soil samples from a restricted site of a missile test.
The spokesperson of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, has stated that in September of 2021, Walczak and his two colleagues were arrested in Iran. Two university professors were released but Walczak was sentenced to three years in prison.
In recent weeks, Belgian national Olivier Vandecasteele, a 41-year-old aid worker, and two French individuals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were also arrested.
The spokesperson of Iran’s judiciary announced the indictment of two French individuals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris. Earlier, Iran state TV had accused the two of having relations with the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations and recent nationwide teachers’ protests.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rokna, two French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been indicted.
The spokesperson of the judiciary, Masoud Setayeshi said that on May 8, 2022, the French citizens were arrested and briefed on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security”.
A few days after the arrest, Iran state TV claimed that the two French nationals are associated with teachers union activists, Eskandar Lotfi, Masoud Nikkhah, Shaban Mohammadi and Rasoul Bodaghi and accused them of “organizing protests to cause “unrest, chaos, and social disorder”.
Cécile Kohler is a member of the French education union FNEC FP-FO.
