Clotilde Reiss's release depends on France, says Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said this Friday that Iran was ready to release French lecturer Clotilde Reiss, but that it was dependent on the French authorities' "attitude".

By Yuka ROYER (video)
FRANCE 24 (text)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s declarations about the possible release of French lecturer Clotilde Reiss, who was detained after taking part in post-election protests in Iran.

“It seems that Clotilde Reiss is detained in Iran not based on what she did, but on what French leaders may have done. Therefore, she’s innocent," said Sarkozy during a press conference in Copenhagen.

Ahmadinejad said that Iran would consider freeing French lecturer Clotilde Reiss in an interview with French news agency AFP. But the Iranian president also called on French leaders to “correct their behaviour," adding that Reiss’s release was dependent on a “more balanced” attitude from the French government.