This 64-year-old Franco-Irish, tourism consultant, has been detained since October in Vakilabad prison in Mashad, Iran's second city.
This Wednesday, a French diplomatic source announced that Bernard Phelan, 64, is "in a critical state of health".
The man went on a hunger and thirst strike.
“He is showing serious signs of physical and psychological exhaustion,” said this source, without however specifying whether his vital prognosis was engaged.
The Iranian authorities have so far refused to release Bernard Phelan for medical reasons despite repeated requests from the French and Irish authorities, also underlined the same source.
Read alsoWhat do we know about Bernard Phelan, the Franco-Irish detained in Iran?
The day before, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was "extremely worried" about him.
His state of health is "fragile and requires appropriate medical monitoring which is not provided in his place of detention", lamented his spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre.
