Bernard Phelan has been deprived of freedom since 3rd October 2022

The Government authorities in Dublin are working closely with the French Government to free Bernard Phelan (64), an Irish-French dual national, who was jailed in Iran in October. Bernard, a native of Tipperary, grew up in Dublin and is a Paris-based tourism consultant. He has been held captive since 3rd October 2022 in Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad city accused of disseminating anti-regime propaganda and taking pictures of security services. He has not been charged with any offense. Bernard was on an educational tour with an Iranian tourism company developing new opportunities to bring tourism to Iran when he was arrested.

Bernard’s career in tourism began in Ireland and subsequently continued in France where he worked for Fáilte Ireland before eventually setting up his own tourism consultancy. He has a great passion for travel, exploration, and the importance of cross-cultural exchange. His guiding principle is that travel and experiencing other cultures can be a strong catalyst for peace, tolerance and understanding across the world. Bernard has travelled extensively in Iran working with local tour operators to successfully generate new tourist products for the country. His arrest and the charges leveled against him simply don’t stand up to scrutiny. They don’t make any sense.