The French Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed concern about the health condition of Bernard Phelan, a French-Irish citizen who was arrested and imprisoned last October in Iran in the context of protests in the country.
«We are extremely concerned about his state of health, which is fragile and requires appropriate medical follow-up, which is not guaranteed in his place of detention,» the French Foreign Ministry said.
Paris has indicated that Phelan is one of seven nationals held «arbitrarily» by Iranian authorities. «We will reinforce, together with the Irish government, our demarches with Iran so that our compatriot is released without delay,» it has added.
The Irish Foreign Ministry already reported last week that it was in contact with France to work on his release and to provide «consular assistance» to the family, according to Irish broadcaster RTE.
Phelan, who denies the charges against him, was arrested for allegedly taking photographs — which he later sent to the Guardian newspaper — of Iranian security forces after a mosque in the area was set on fire.
The 64-year-old, who works for an Iranian tourism company, was carrying a French passport at the time of his arrest in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. He was held in solitary confinement for two weeks, after which he was sent to Vakilabad prison in the city.
According to his sister, Caroline Massé-Phelan, he began a hunger strike on January 1 in protest against his case. The family has warned in recent weeks that his health has deteriorated considerably.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
