A month after his arrest in Bandar-Abbas, in southern Iran, Lennart Monterlos remains untraceable. The 19-year-old, this young Franco-German cyclo-driver made a bicycle trip across the country when he was arrested on June 16, three days after the start of the clashes between Israel and the Islamic Republic. Since then, no news. “We ask the Iranian authorities who hold him a sign of life and to be able to get in touch with him as soon as possible”argued his parents and friends this Thursday in a statement sent to AFP.
According to them, the situation is all the more worrying since no official information has been communicated to the place or the reasons for its detention. “A month after his arrest, we understand that we have official information either at the place of detention, or on the reasons for his arrest in Bandar-Abbas “, Insist his loved ones. Lennart Monterlos is today the third French detained in Iran, after Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, arrested in May 2022 and still imprisoned. Both are accused of spying on behalf of Israel, charges liable to the death penalty.
An “assumed hostage policy”
At this stage, Tehran is content to evoke “A crime” committed by the young man. “He was arrested for committing an offense”simply declared the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, at Worldwithout providing more details.
Families are now betting on the joint mobilization of Paris and Berlin. “We are counting on the efforts of French diplomacy, which we know mobilized, for the release as quickly as possible of our very young son who is innocent of everything. We are also in close contact with German diplomats ”specify relatives.
For its part, the Quai d’Orsay reiterated its warning: “We call on the French not to go to Iran or to leave this country without delay. »» A recommendation motivated by what Paris describes as “Deliberate and assumed policy of hostage to Westerners”in particular to put pressure in nuclear discussions and try to obtain a reduction in international sanctions.
