For several days, the name of Lennart Monterlos has fueled the concern of French authorities and human rights defenders. This 18 -year -old French tourist, has been missing in Iran since the end of June 2025. While the circumstances of his disappearance remain vague, his family and several NGOs fear arbitrary detention.
A travel enthusiast
Originally from Besançon, Lennart Monterlos is passionate about sport, especially climbing and cycling. After spending his double Franco-German baccalaureate, he decided to go on a bike to visit Eurasia. “I really like reading and traveling through books, and now I want to travel around the world by bike.” Starting from Besançon in August 2024, he decided to take a break on his trip for the end of year celebrations.
Lennart Monterlos resumes his trip on May 24 in Varzaneh, in the center of Iran. THE June 12he explains on his Instagram account that his passage through Iran had “been the subject of lively debates” in his entourage.
Disturbing silence
Since that date, no more contact. Neither social networks nor his satellite phone give sign of life. His family quickly alerted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which confirmed that it had opened a crisis cell. “We are in contact with the Iranian authorities, but for the moment, we have not received any official information on its location,” said a spokesperson.
Certain elements reveal an arrest by the guards of the revolution of Lennart Monterlos. The West often accuses them of making foreigners for spying reasons. A hypothesis reinforced by the previous one of several European nationals arrested in recent years in similar conditions, before being used as diplomatic levers by Iran.
Since 2022, the Frenchwoman Cécile Kohler and his companion Jacques Paris are detained in Iran and accused of damage to state security. They incur the death penalty in the country. Jean-Noël Barrot exchanged this Sunday with its Iranian counterpart. He demanded “the immediate and unconditional freedom of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, arbitrarily detained in conditions comparable to torture for more than three years now”.
Read also: What are Iran’s “proxys” that could be at the center of reprisals?
A tense climate
The context does not help. From The repression of the 2022 protest movement In Iran and the intensification of Western sanctions, relations between Iran and France have deteriorated. Paris recently criticized Tehran for its human rights violations and arbitrary arrests. To this are added recent American strikes Taking installations related to the Iranian nuclear program.
These attacks aroused a strong reaction from the Iranian regime. He accuses the West of trying to sabotage his sovereign capacities. In this climate, some analysts believe that the disappearance of Lennart Monterlos could be linked to a intimidation strategy.
