After the forced "confessions" of two tourists in Iran, France advises all citizens to leave the country immediately. The Federal Foreign Office is also urgently warning Germans traveling in Iran of the danger of arbitrary arrests. Even route planning on navigation systems could be seen as an attempt at espionage.
France has called on its nationals in Iran to leave the country "as soon as possible". The French Foreign Ministry said on its website that they were at high risk of arrest, arbitrary detention and unfair trials. People who make a "tourist visit" are also affected. In the event of arrest or detention, respect for fundamental rights and security are not guaranteed.
On Thursday, Iranian state television broadcast a video showing two Frenchmen arrested in May making a "confession" about alleged espionage. The two entered Iran on tourist visas in May and were arrested two weeks later. The Foreign Ministry in Paris condemned the dissemination of the alleged confession as an "unworthy, outrageous staging" and called for the immediate release of the two Frenchmen.
The alleged confession was spread against the background of the massive protests in Iran over the death of the 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the vice squad. The government in Tehran has repeatedly blamed foreign forces for the protests. The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence announced last week that nine foreigners, including at least one German, had been arrested in connection with the protests.
The Foreign Office in Berlin "strongly advises against" traveling to Iran. For German nationals, there is a concrete risk of being "arbitrarily arrested, interrogated and sentenced to long prison terms," the ministry writes on its website. The warning applies in particular to individual travelers: "There is a risk that luggage will be searched extensively and possibly confiscated. In particular, electronic means of communication such as mobile phones, notebooks, tablets, etc. can be subjected to detailed investigations. Routes entered into electronic maps and navigation systems, especially to Planning off-road trips can be interpreted by the Iranian security authorities as an indication of attempts at spying and espionage". Even commenting on or liking social media posts could be enough for prosecution.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that more than 10,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard officers and "high-ranking members" who are "responsible for the country's heinous behavior" would be barred from entering Canada. Those affected are “forever” excluded from entering Canada. In addition, they are not allowed to own any assets in the country or engage in any financial transactions there.
