A French couple, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, have been detained in Iran since May 2022 and were recently sentenced to 20 and 17 years in prison, respectively, on charges of espionage. Their families warn that their health and lives are at risk, describing them as exhausted and at the end of their tether after more than three years in custody. French authorities have condemned the convictions as baseless and called for their immediate release, while also highlighting concerns about the conditions of their detention and the lack of consular access. The couple's relatives and the French government insist they are innocent tourists and accuse Iran of using them as leverage in political negotiations.