Iran - Q&A from the press briefing (17 January 2023)

Q: Can you confirm that Bernard Phelan, who holds French and Irish citizenship, is one of the French hostages in Iran? Are you worried about the state of his health?

A: We can confirm that Bernard Phelan, a French-Irish citizen, is one of our seven compatriots being held arbitrarily by the Iranian authorities.
We are extremely worried about his health, as it is poor and requires appropriate medical monitoring, which is not provided at his detention facility.
Together with the Irish government, we have made multiple representations to the Iranian government to gain our compatriot’s immediate release.