{"id":71737,"date":"2025-03-22T17:42:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T16:42:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=71737"},"modified":"2025-03-22T17:42:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T16:42:43","slug":"french-and-international-figures-condemn-irans-hostage-diplomacy-and-warn-of-concessions-undermining-the-iranian-resistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/articles\/2025\/03\/french-and-international-figures-condemn-irans-hostage-diplomacy-and-warn-of-concessions-undermining-the-iranian-resistance\/71737\/","title":{"rendered":"French and International Figures Condemn Iran\u2019s Hostage Diplomacy and Warn of Concessions Undermining the Iranian Resistance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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French and International Figures Condemn Iran\u2019s Hostage Diplomacy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recent developments involving the release of French hostages from Iran have sparked strong condemnation from French dignitaries and international organizations, who accuse the Iranian regime of leveraging hostage diplomacy<\/a> and media manipulation to secure political concessions while targeting the Iranian Resistance, particularly the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK<\/a>). These actions, they argue, not only embolden Tehran\u2019s terrorist tactics but also jeopardize the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people.<\/p>\n

A collective statement from prominent French figures<\/a> has been issued, condemning the Iranian regime\u2019s continued practice of hostage diplomacy and its alleged manipulation of French media and judicial systems for political gain. The signatories, comprising legal experts, former government officials, and human rights advocates, welcomed the release of Olivier Grondeau<\/a>, a French hostage, but expressed concern that his liberation might be part of a larger deal aimed at undermining Iran\u2019s democratic opposition.<\/p>\n

Specifically, they highlighted recent defamatory attacks on Maryam Rajavi<\/a>, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI<\/a>), linking these efforts to appeasement strategies intended to placate Tehran. The statement vehemently denounces what it terms \u201cshameful blackmail\u201d by the Iranian regime and calls for an end to using democratic institutions as tools for political concessions.<\/p>\n

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From top left to right: Dominique Attias, Ingrid Betancourt, Jean-Pierre Brard. From bottom left to right: Yves Bonnet, Gilbert Mitterrand, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Legaret.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Adding to this critique, the International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ<\/a>), representing over 4,000 parliamentarians worldwide, issued a separate statement<\/a> on March 22, 2025, slamming the hostage deal as a betrayal of justice.<\/p>\n

The ISJ welcomed the release of the French hostages but condemned the broader implications of the agreement, asserting that Western concessions\u2014such as the release of Afshari\u2014come at the expense of the Iranian Resistance and fuel Tehran\u2019s impunity. The ISJ emphasized that the Iranian regime has weaponized hostage diplomacy since 1979, citing historical examples like the release of diplomat-terrorist Assadollah Assadi<\/a> and judiciary official Hamid Noury<\/a> as evidence of a pattern. These deals, they argued, perpetuate a cycle of terrorism and extortion, with the regime securing the freedom of its agents while suppressing dissent at home and abroad.<\/p>\n

The ISJ\u2019s statement further cautioned that the secret negotiations behind the hostage release signal a troubling trend of appeasement, weakening the PMOI\/MEK<\/a> and the broader National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI<\/a>). Led by Professor Alejo Vidal Quadras<\/a>, the ISJ urged French and European leaders to demand transparency in these arrangements and adopt a firm stance against Tehran\u2019s tactics. They stressed that continued concessions embolden the regime to escalate its malign activities, including targeting the Resistance with propaganda and physical attacks, while delaying the democratic change sought by the Iranian people.<\/p>\n

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ISJ welcomes 2 French hostages\u2019 release but denounces concessions to Iran\u2019s terrorist regime at the Iranian Resistance\u2019s expense. This only fuels more hostage-taking & terror by Tehran. We urge transparency by France & EU.<\/p>\n

CC: @EmmanuelMacron<\/a> @kajakallas<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/rW9swzZrZi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 International Committee in Search of Justice (@isjcommittee) March 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n