Iran: French tourist Louis Arnaud jailed for five years

Louis Arnaud has been held in an Iranian jail for more than a year

A French tourist held in Iran for over a year on national security charges has been sentenced to five years in jail.

Louis Arnaud, a banking consultant, was arrested in September 2022 - accused of participating in anti-government protests and of contributing to anti-government propaganda.

He has been held at the notorious Evin prison in the capital, Tehran, ever since.

The French government on Wednesday called for his immediate release.

"This conviction, which has nothing to support it and the absence of any access to a lawyer, is unacceptable," said the country's foreign ministry in a statement.

Mr Arnaud's family confirmed the sentence and said he was innocent of all charges - describing the guilty verdict as "an attack on human rights and individual freedoms", according to the AFP news agency.

They said in a statement that he had actively stayed away from the protests that erupted across the country in September last year following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

"At no time did he act with political intentions or carelessness."

His loved ones have stated in the past that he was celebrating the birthday of one of a group of backpackers he had met on his travels when they were stopped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. All of the others who were detained, including other foreigners, have since been released.

Mr Arnaud's family added on Wednesday that he had appealed against the verdict.

There's been no comment so far from the Iranian authorities.

Western governments accuse Tehran of detaining foreigners and dual nationals on spurious grounds to be used as bargaining chips.

Evin prison, where Mr Arnaud is being held, has long been criticised by rights groups. Human Rights Watch has accused authorities at the prison of using threats of torture and of indefinite imprisonment, as well as lengthy interrogations and denial of medical care for detainees.

Iran's Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimates that around 20,000 people have been detained in the country in relation to the protests.