- France said on Friday that the imprisonment of two prominent French academics by Iran was unacceptable and that their release would represent a "significant gesture", as tensions mount between Tehran and the West.
The plea for the release of Fariba Adelkhah and Roland Marchal -- imprisoned since June last year -- comes as Iran is embroiled in an international crisis over its missile attacks on US troops in Iraq and a passenger plane crash near Tehran.
"These arrests and the fact that they are in prison today is totally unacceptable," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told RTL radio.
"It would be a significant gesture if Iran freed them as soon as possible."
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