French President Emmanuel Macron announced today, Friday, the release of French citizens "Bernard Phélan" and "Benjamin Brière," who were detained in Iran. Macron tweeted on his official Twitter account, "We will continue to work for the return of our citizens who are still detained in Iran."
"Finally free. Benjamin Brière and Bernard Phélan will reunite with their loved ones. It is a relief. I salute their liberation. Thank you to everyone who worked towards this outcome. We will continue to act for the return of our compatriots still held in Iran." — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 12, 2023
In a separate statement, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna noted that the two men are now on their way back to France, mentioning that she spoke with her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian this morning.
Benjamin Brière had been detained in Iran since May 2020, when he was arrested after launching a small remote-controlled helicopter used for aerial photography near the border between Turkmenistan and Iran. An Iranian court sentenced him to eight years in prison in March on charges of espionage.
