Lennart Monterlos, a 18 -year -old French young man, has been missing since June 16, while he was in Iran. A disappearance considered “disturbing” by Quai d’Orsay, in an extremely tense context between the West and Iran, and while two French are hostages retained in Tehran.
• Party since August 2024 to join Japan by bicycle
On August 13, 2024, the young man, only older, took his bicycle to start a long trip, prepared since the end of 2023. With, for the goal, join Japan. A crowdfunding set on the Ulule platform was launched, to help you finance this trip, presented as a “Césura” of “Higher Studies”.
“At 18, 400 days in Eurasia, 35 countries, 35,000 km, up to 4,693 meters above sea level,” can be read in the presentation text that accompanies the kitten. “I really like to read and travel through books, and now I want to travel the world by bicycle. From a young age I have gone by bicycle, in Vivouac of several days and, sometimes, weeks,” writes the young man.
• Disappeared since June 16 in Iran
Lennart Monterlos documents his trip on his Instagram account and in his online travel book. Except that, since June 16, their relatives have no news. They also launched a research warning on social networks.
A few days before his disappearance, on June 12, the young tourist, passionate about the sport, had explained that his passage through this country had “been the subject of animated debates” with whom they surrounded him.
• A very tense international and geopolitical context
The disappearance of the young Frenchman intervened in a very tense regional and international context, while Israel had launched attacks against Iranian nuclear sites in mid -June, an offensive now called “Twelve -Day War.”
“His disappearance dates back to June 16, that is When the war broke out between Iran and Israel. His disappearance is very disturbing, “analyzes Ulysse Gosset, an international political editorialist BFMTV.
“Each French must refer to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the information is objectively exposed, Claire,” he recalled on Monday, July 7 at RTL Laurent Saint-Martin, a minister in charge of the French abroad. Since this outbreak of tensions in the region, “it is strongly recommended that French citizens leave the country,” he urged Quai d’Osay.
“I reassure you, consular protection is correct for all French (…) in a foreign country. But (…) if we often do not recommend going to countries, it is precisely not being at risk,” he added.
• A disappearance considered “disturbing” by French diplomacy
While Tehran has retained two French, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, has been held hostage for more than three years and have recently been accused of espionage in favor of Israel, the disappearance of Lennart Monterlos is “disturbing”, because “Iran has a deliberate policy of taking hostages from Western.” “An assumed policy,” as Laurent Saint-Martin said.
“Quai d’Orsay does not hesitate to evoke a deliberate strategy by Iran that would voluntarily stop French citizens on their ground and then use it as a currency in much larger discussions,” explains Olivier Ravanello, international political consultant for BFMTV.
At the moment, the reasons for the disappearance of Lennart Monterlos are still unknown. For its part, Iranian diplomacy has not yet communicated in this issue.
Source: BFM TV
