France Summons Iran’s Ambassador Over Arrest of Two Scholars

(Bloomberg) -- France summoned Iran’s ambassador in Paris over the “intolerable” jailing of two scholars held in the Persian state.

Fariba Adelkhah and Roland Marchal should be released without delay and the Iranian authorities must be fully transparent about their plans, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. “Their imprisonment is intolerable.”

Dual French-Iranian citizen Adelkhah was arrested in Iran on an unknown date in June, while Marchal was detained in the same month. The French government has demanded they have access to the local French consulate, which it says has been denied so far.

Le Point magazine reported Thursday that Adelkhah had started a hunger strike.

“France continues to follow the situation of our two compatriots with the utmost attention in close contact with their families,” the ministry said. “The French authorities will continue to act with determination to obtain their release.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, John Bowker, Tara Patel

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