French tourist Louis Arnaud sentenced to five-year imprisonment in Iran

A French tourist named Louis Arnaud has been sentenced to five years in prison in Iran on charges related to national security. Arnaud, who works as a banking consultant, was arrested in September 2022 on allegations of participating in anti-government protests and spreading anti-government propaganda. He has been held in Tehran's infamous Evin prison since then. The French government has demanded his immediate release, condemning the lack of evidence to support his conviction and the denial of access to legal representation. Arnaud's family maintains his innocence, describing the verdict as a violation of human rights. They emphasized that he had refrained from involvement in the protests that occurred after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Arnaud's loved ones also confirmed that he had appealed against the sentence. So far, Iranian authorities have not commented on the matter. Western governments frequently accuse Iran of detaining foreigners and dual nationals for political leverage. Evin prison, where Arnaud is being held, has faced criticism from rights organizations for its use of torture threats, indefinite imprisonment, harsh interrogations, and denial of medical care. According to Iran's Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), approximately 20,000 people have been detained in connection with the protests.