Iran’s foreign minister announced that the country has detained Lennart Monterlos, a teenage French-German cyclist who has been missing since mid-June, for “an offense” that remains unspecified, as reported by the French newspaper Le Monde. France’s Prime Minister has also confirmed the arrest.
Details of the Detention
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated, “Lennart Monterlos was detained for having committed an offense,” although he did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged crime. Reports indicate that France’s embassy in Tehran has been notified of the situation.
The 18-year-old cyclist was reportedly cycling across Iran when he disappeared, and news of his detention surfaced on Thursday evening. French Prime Minister François Bayrou confirmed, “The arrest of this young man … is confirmed.” He emphasized the need for discretion, stating, “We are not talking further about it to not create difficulty for or imperil the outcome of this affair.”
France and Germany Respond
France’s Foreign Ministry has stated it is in communication with Iranian authorities regarding Monterlos’ situation and is also in contact with his family. The ministry refrained from making further comments, citing concerns for his security, and reiterated warnings against travel to Iran for French nationals.
Similarly, Kathrin Deschauer, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, acknowledged awareness of the case but declined to provide additional commentary. Germany also advises its citizens against traveling to Iran.
Hostage Diplomacy Accusations
Monterlos is the third French national known to be detained in Iran, a country that France accuses of practicing hostage diplomacy. Two other French citizens, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, have been imprisoned for over three years under conditions that France likens to torture and on charges deemed baseless.
The French Foreign Ministry recently stated, “Iran practices a deliberate policy of state hostages. All French nationals who find themselves there expose themselves to a risk of arrest and arbitrary detention, including tourists, for the sole reason of having French nationality.”
Kohler, 40, and her partner Paris, 72, were arrested in May 2022 and were detained at Tehran’s Evin Prison, notorious for incarcerating dual nationals and Westerners used as bargaining chips in Iran’s diplomatic negotiations.
