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Iran is holding a teenage French-German cyclist in custody
TEHRAN, IRAN, JUL 10 – Lennart Monterlos was confirmed arrested after being missing for over three weeks in Tehran, with Iranian authorities providing official acknowledgment of his detention.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on July 10, 2025, that an 18-year-old French-German cyclist named Lennart Monterlos is in custody in Iran.
- Monterlos was arrested for committing an offense during his Europe-to-Asia cycling trip and Iran sent an official notification to the French embassy about his situation.
- France’s foreign ministry has been communicating with both Iranian officials and Monterlos's relatives but refrained from providing additional details due to concerns about his security.
- France continues to caution its citizens against visiting Iran due to the threat of arbitrary detention and is actively engaging with Tehran regarding the prolonged imprisonment of two French nationals, Jacques Paris and Cécile Kohler.
- The detention of foreign nationals, including Monterlos, may further deteriorate the tense relationship between Paris and Tehran amid allegations that Iran uses detainees as leverage, a claim Tehran rejects.
94 Articles
94 Articles
Deutsche Welle
DNyuzIran confirms arrest of missing Franco-German cyclist
Iran says it detained an 18-year-old Franco-German tourist who was on a bicycle tour of the world for an unspecified crime. Berlin and Paris have warned of politically motivated detentions, urging citizens to stay away.
Iran says a young French-German cyclist is in custody
Iran's foreign minister has confirmed that his country is detaining a teenage French-German cyclist who disappeared last month, French newspaper Le Monde reported Friday. The cyclist, Lennart Monterlos, "was detained for having committed an infraction," the newspaper quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying in the interview Thursday. He didn't elaborate on the nature of the alleged offence. Araghchi said France's embassy in Tehra…
The 18-year-old tourist is believed to be imprisoned in Bandar Abbas, in the south of the country, on charges of espionage.
A French teenager who had been missing has been detained in Iran. The government in Tehran promises that more Westerners will be arrested, according to Iranian news agencies. “Israeli bombings are fueling the mullahs to continue their hostage diplomacy,” says EU parliamentarian Abir al-Sahlani (C).
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