PARIS
When French researcher Roland Marchal was thrown into prison in Iran back in June 2019, he was convinced it was all a mistake and that he would be released shortly. But as days turned into months and his hopes of being freed were repeatedly dashed, hope itself became painful. “You become afraid of hope because you keep faith despite all the evidence that you will be there for a long time. You always have hope, and, obviously, it hurts a lot,” he told AFP in an interview back home in France days after his release following a nine-month ordeal. Marchal and his partner, fellow researcher Fariba Adelkhah, 60, were detained on accusations of plotting against national security. The pair, who work at the prestigious Sciences Po university in Paris, have denied the charges. Abdelkhah, who was born in Tehran, remains in jail.—AFP
