Cecile Kohler

<p>Cecile Kohler is the chair of international relations for the National Federation of Cultural Education and Vocational Training Force Ouvrière (FNEC FP-FO) and a member of International Education (IE) organization. Cecile and her husband Chuck Paris traveled to Iran with a tourism visa when they were arrested by the Information Ministry forces. Th</p>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='40626'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3avvkFn'> The official news agency of the Islamic Republic’s judiciary, Mizan, reported that Cecile Kohler and Chuck Paris were arrested for suspicion of assembly and collusion with intent to undermine national security. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40622'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3o0IU6I'> Ministry of Information released a statement announcing the arrest of two Europeans in Iran. The Statement did not provide any details about the identities or nationalities of the arrested individuals. The Ministry of Information claims in the statement that the two Europeans were tasked to use the labor and economic protests in Iran to “create networks and connect individuals with corrupt domestic networks, to cause a massive wave of sabotage and mischief and unsafety in the society.” In the statement, the Ministry of Information refers to the Coordinating Council of Teachers Trade Unions as an illegal entity. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40624'> <reference source='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d2kmjna7uo'> The Islamic Republic’s state TV aired the video of the arrest of Cecile Kohler and Chuck Paris, blaming them for the teachers’ protests across the country. In the report, Cecile Kohler and Chuck Paris were accused of organizing “chaos and disorder” and claimed a connection between the two and several activist teachers, namely Eskandar Lotfi, Masoud Nikkhah, Shaaban Mohammadi, and Rasoul Badaghi. The report also points to the connection of Cecile Kohler and Chuck Paris with Reza Shahabi and Anisha Asadollahi. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40632'> <reference source='https://t.me/kasenfi/21609'> The Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association released a statement underlining the membership of the Coordinating Council of Teachers Trade Unions in the Education International (EI) and the membership of Cecile Kohler in this international institution. The statement announced that the Islamic Republic authorities intend to silence teachers’ voices by tying the protests to “conspiracies of western intelligence services”. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40625'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3RzJUMK'> Fars News, the IRGC’s media, announced the arrest of an individual “connected to the two arrested spies” by the West Azerbaijan intelligence forces. The report does not offer any information about the identity of the accused and claims that the arrested individual was tasked with “merging the workers’ and teachers’ protests and turning them into chaos and disorder.” </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='40627'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3avvkFn'> In a press conference, judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi referred to the arrest ad arraignment of Cecile Kohler and Chuck Paris, and said the procedure of this case is not comparable to the cases of Asadollah Asadi and Hamid Nouri, which were “injustices abroad”. Asadollah Asadi is an Iranian diplomat arrested and tried for his role in the attempted bombing of the MKO event in Paris. Hamid Nouri is a former Islamic Republic Judiciary official who was convicted in a Swedish court for his role in the massacre of political prisoners in the Summer of 1988 in Iran. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42467'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3VaYCez'> IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, published a part of the video of the forced confessions of Cecil Coller and Jacques Paris on its Twitter account, and claimed that these "two French spies" had "revealed behind the scenes of laying the groundwork for chaos in the country". In this forced confession video, Cécile Coller first introduced herself as an "operational intelligence agent at the General Directorate of Foreign Security (DGSE, the French intelligence service)" and said that she and her husband traveled to Iran "to prepare the conditions for the revolution and the overthrow of the Islamic regime." Also, her husband Jacques Paris said in this forced confession video that the "goal" of the French Foreign Security Organization is "to put pressure on the Iranian government". Also, in this video, which was published by state-TV and Al-Alam TV channel (an Arabic news network affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization), the images and names of Reza Shahabi, Hassan Saeedi, Anisha Asadollahi, Keivan Mehtadi, Rasoul Bodaghi, Davoud Rezavi, Eskander Lotfi, Shaaban Mohammadi, and Masoud Nikkhah, labor activists and teachers are shown. The release of this video took place while the Islamic Republic was involved in a global wave of Iranian protests against the government, which began after the murder of Mahsa Amini in the Morality Police Detention Center. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42511'> <reference source='https://t.me/vahedsyndica/4875?single'> The Vahed Bus Company workers' syndicate issued a statement calling the published video of the forced confessions "absolutely false and baseless" and said that Cécile Coller and Jacques Paris are members of one of the independent labor-teacher unions in France "and following their arrest, their union has strongly declared all the government's fabricated accusations against them to be pure lies and demanded their release." They said the travel of Cecil Coller and Jacques Paris to Iran was legal and public and that the meeting of Iranian labor and trade union activists with them was a "usual trade union custom" and added: > The security and the interrogator/journalists tried in vain to ignore the nationwide protests of the people and trying to link it to such baseless scenarios. The statement continues: > We have said many times, and all the trade union organizations of Iran and the world and all the defenders of trade unions, labor, and human rights have also stated many times, that such scenarios, hostage-taking, and airing confessions on TV have been ineffective in the public mind for years. The authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran arrested a number of the most famous labor and teacher activists in Iran five months ago with such tired scenarios and kept them in solitary confinement and under interrogation for a long time. In previous statements, we said this old scenario was completely neutralized by the brilliant resistance of Iran's labor activists and teachers and clearly explained the repressive nature of the wave of arrests and false cases that were brought against them. In this statement, the Workers' Union of the United Company also emphasized that there was no connection between the arrested workers and teachers with any government or government institution in any country in the world. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='42487'> <reference source='https://www.iranintl.com/202210068367'> According to Iran International, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the broadcast of the forced confessions of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris "brazen, disgusting, unacceptable and against international law" that "the worst dictatorial regimes" do and wrote: > This deception shows contempt for human dignity. which is characteristic of Iran's government . </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='43137'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/12962'> The Coordinating Council of Teachers' Union Organizations of Iran published a statement, condemning the broadcast of the video of the forced confessions of Cecil Kohler and Jacques Paris at the same time as the nationwide uprising in Iran, and called it a "desperate attempt" and "absurd fantasies". </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='48194'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/15047'> According to the report of the Coordinating Council of Teachers' Organizations of Iran, a protest rally for the release of Cecil Kohler was held in Strasbourg. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='50977'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/16403'> According to the Coordinating Council of Cultural Organizations of Iran, the General Confederation of French Labor condemned the continued detention of Cecil Kohler and Jacques Paris and demanded the unconditional release of these political prisoners. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='53900'> <reference source='https://x.com/NoemieColere/status/1690676522707738624?s=20'> Naomi Kohler, Cecil Kohler's sister, wrote on her personal account on X: > My sister Cecil, in her last call, said that these calls are like fresh air for me. Since July 4, a month ago, we have not heard from her and this is inhumane. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='54433'> <reference source='https://x.com/FreeCecile_/status/1740325389875249604?s=20'> The Campaign for Freedom of Cecil announced in a statement that 600 days have passed since the arrest of Cecil Koller in Iran and demanded that this "nightmare stop." The campaign called the jailing of the union activist unjust, pointing out that she was again kept away from her family on the eve of the New Year. In the statement of this committee, it is emphasized that Cecil Koller has been deprived of having an independent lawyer since her arrest. It is also mentioned in this statement that she spent several months in solitary confinement, which is known as "torture and contrary to the laws and norms of the United Nations." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='56825'> <reference source='https://x.com/FreeCecile_/status/1771568245184577540'> More than a hundred people demonstrated in Paris, the capital of France, to support the French citizens imprisoned in Iran and to request their release. In this gathering, which was held in Republic Square of Paris following the call of the families of four French prisoners, the demonstrators displayed placards with the photos and names of Cecil Kohler, Jacques Paris, Louis Arnaud and a citizen named "Olivier". In this rally, Benjamin Berier, who was imprisoned in Iran for more than three years, asked the French government to work for the release of four French citizens who are still imprisoned in Iran. He emphasized that the most appropriate word for these four detainees is the word "hostage": > Louis is a hostage, Cecil is a hostage, Olivier is a hostage, Jacques is a hostage. I was a hostage. Naomi Kohler, Cecil Kohler's sister, published pictures of this gathering in her user account on X Network. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='56824'> <reference source='https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/apr/04/i-saw-my-sister-forced-to-say-she-was-a-spy-on-iranian-tv-it-was-the-worst-day-of-my-life-cecile-kohler'> In an interview with Naomi Kohler, the Guardian newspaper discussed the situation of her sister Cecil Kohler's detention in Iran. Naomi told the Guardian: > I have seen the hard efforts of the French authorities to return my sister, but my sister has been in Evin prison for more than 690 days. "They need to do more because her situation has not changed. According to Naomi, Cecil has been able to make sporadic phone calls to her family from prison, but her sister cannot speak freely. Naomi emphasized that since her arrest, her sister has been allowed two brief visits with French consular officials under the supervision of security forces. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='56827'> <reference source='https://www.radiofarda.com/a/32894779.html'> Noami Kohler, Cecil Kohler's sister, said in an interview with Radio Farda: > With the small information we receive about the conditions of Cecil and his life partner in prison, as well as the testimony of other prisoners, we can understand that Ward 209 of Evin Prison is like hell." > According to Noami Kohler, in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, "there is always a very intense psychological pressure on the prisoners" and the families of the French prisoners are very worried about the consequences it will have on their health. Naomi told Radio Farda that due to the conditions of the prison and with the passing of 700 days since the detention of these two prisoners, she has launched a campaign to raise awareness about the "very unfortunate conditions" of their imprisonment by collecting signatures. According to a statement released with the recent campaign, "Cecil Kohler and Jacques Paris are now each held in cells of 9 square meters with other inmates who are constantly being changed." Also, "there are no beds, tables and chairs inside the cells. According to Noami Kohler, Cecil and her husband, Jacques, made very few calls to their families, and they call a family member about once a month and completely randomly. Ms. Kohler also announced: It is never predictable when the phone calls will be made. These calls are very short, lasting about five minutes, and are strictly controlled. According to Naomi Koehler, her sister, and Jacques Paris, they cannot give an explanation about the health condition and prison conditions during a phone call. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='59774'> <reference source='https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20240527-family-members-of-french-imprisoned-in-iran-appeal-to-the-un'> The families of Cecile Kohler, Jacques Paris, and Louis Arnault visited the United Nations office in Geneva in an effort to put pressure on the Islamic Republic and raise awareness about the plight of the three prisoners. Naomi Koehler, sister of Cecile Koehler, hopes to draw international attention to "the plight of our loved ones who have been taken hostage in Iran" and speed up their release." </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63272'> <reference source='https://t.me/kashowra/19748'> Simultaneously with the beginning of the new academic year in France, Cecile Kohler's colleagues in this country announced by publishing a statement that 850 days have passed since Cecile Kohler and her husband Jacques Paris were imprisoned in Evin prison of the Islamic Republic. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='63745'> <reference source='https://ir.voanews.com/a/7798541.html'> In a video message released by the Voice of America, Cecile Kohler's parents said to Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian: "This is the third year that our daughter's birthday has been celebrated while she is being held hostage in Evin prison. Her condition is such that she does not have the ability to distinguish between day and night. Her phone calls are very short and under heavy monitoring. She is not able to contact the embassy and is deprived of the right to access a lawyer. They asked Pezeshkian to release their child and end this family nightmare. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>