An 18-year-old Franco-German cyclist who vanished in Iran nearly a month ago has been arrested for committing a crime, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed in an interview with French daily Le Monde on Thursday.
The detained cyclist, Lennart Monterlos, was on a solo Europe-to-Asia biking expedition and had last made contact on June 16.
“He was arrested for committing a crime, and an official notification regarding his situation was sent to the French embassy,” Araghchi said, without providing further details.
France’s foreign ministry said it was in contact with both Iranian authorities and the family of Lennart Monterlos. Citing concerns for his safety, the ministry declined to provide further details.
The arrest threatens to further deteriorate diplomatic ties between Paris and Tehran, which have already been under pressure due to Iran’s ongoing detention of two other French nationals, Jacques Paris and Ccile Kohler, who have been held for over three years.
France has previously described their treatment as being akin to torture, and has repeatedly demanded their release.
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