France again demands that Iran release French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday reiterated his demands for Iran to release French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah, whom Iran has sentenced to six years in prison on national security charges.

“Today, I once again formally demand on behalf of France the immediate liberation by Iran of Madame Adelkhah,” Le Drian said in a statement.

“This ongoing situation can only have a negative impact on the bilateral relations between France and Iran, and can only significantly reduce the trust between our two countries,” he said.

Adelkhah, a specialist in Shia Islam and a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris, was arrested in June last year. She is a citizen of Iran and France, but Tehran does not recognize dual nationality.

Her trial started on March 3 with the last hearing held on April 19 at branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court.

Adelkhah's French colleague and partner Roland Marchal, who was detained along with her, was released in March in an apparent prisoner swap.

Marchal was freed after France released Iranian engineer Jallal Rohollahnejad, who faced extradition to the United States over accusations he violated US sanctions against Iran.

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