‘Worrying missing’: 18 -year -old French National Missing in Iran; 20 Europeans in custody in the country
An 18 -year -old French, who also holds German citizenship, has gone missing in Iran during a bicycle trip that began on 16 June, a French diplomatic source was asked to news agency AFP on Sunday. The missing teenager has been identified as Lenart Monterelos, especially from Instagram, based on the social media post.“It’s worrying to disappear. We are in touch with the family about this,” the source said, referring to missing person sharing an alert online. However, the source could not confirm whether Linart is one of the recent Europeans detained in Iran, who is suspicious of espionage for Israel.According to the French diplomat, Iran is doing “a intentional policy of taking Western hostages”, and French citizens are advised not to travel firmly to Iran.The official also warned that Iran “is targeting the French citizens passing through the country, accusing them of espionage and detaining them under frightening circumstances,” in some cases, which, come under the definition of torture under international law.Iran is believed to have catching about 20 European citizens, in many cases that have not been made public. Many Western countries, including France, accused Tehran of using these arrests to pressurize them for diplomatic concessions.There are three more detained people who are currently unknown, who have also been arrested recently. Iranian officials claim that two of them are Israeli detectives, possibly associated with recent Gaza struggle.Iran is also conducting two French citizens from 2022, Cecil Kohaler, 40, and their partner Jacques Paris, 72. The Iranian government has accused him of spying for Israel, a firmly denied by the French authorities on an charge.French External Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has demanded his “immediate, unconditional release”, and said Iran has never officially informed France about the allegations.“We are extremely concerned about his psychological state and bomb blasts,” Kohlar’s sister Nomi said in an interview with BFM TV.
