Iran/France - prisoner swap

France refuses to exchange prisoners with Iran

Article published on the 2009-12-21 Latest update 2009-12-21 15:57 TU

French language teaching assistant Clotilde Reiss testifies during her trial at the Revolutionary court in Tehran
(Credit: Reuters)

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday he would not release an Iranian agent jailed for the murder of a former prime minister in exchange for French academic Clothilde Reiss, who has been holed up in the French embassy in Tehran since August. Reiss, 24, was originally arrested during the student demonstrations in June, accused of supporting those protesting the elections.

"What does he want? He wants to make us swap Clothilde Reiss for Vakili Rad, that's to say the assassin of Shapour Bakhtiar," Kouchner said during a meeting with journalists.

"It's out of the question... even if we wanted to, we couldn't," he added.

His response came after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last Friday that he would like to allow Reiss to return to France, but it would "depend on the French authorities."

In 1994, a French court found Vakili Rad found guilty of murder. He admitted to killing exile Shapour Bakhtiar, a former Iranian prime minister who had served under the Shah of Iran.

Meanwhile, Kouchner said that Reiss, the French academic, will be summonded for a new court hearing on Wednesday, which should be her last.