PARIS (AP) – French newspaper Le Monde reported Friday that Iran’s foreign minister confirmed his country was detaining a teenager French cyclist who went missing last month.
The newspaper quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying the cyclist Lennart Monterlos was “detained for committing a violation.”
He did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged crime.
The newspaper added that Aragic said the French embassy in Tehran had been notified. It said Monterlos was riding a bicycle in Iran and had not heard since mid-June.
The French Foreign Ministry did not confirm the detention, but said it had something to do with Iranian authorities about “our national situation” and family connections.
It quotes concerns about his safety, and he said there were no other comments. It reiterated the previous warning that French nationals should not travel to Iran.
