Judiciary Pursues Mahdieh Esfandiari’s Release From French Jail

Date: 10 June 2025 - 22:30

News ID: ۱۴۰۴۸۰

TEHRAN  – Spokesperson for the Judiciary Asghar Jahangir said on Tuesday that the High Council for Human Rights of the judicial system is actively monitoring the situation of Iranian citizen Mahdieh Esfandiari, who is detained in France.
Jahangir said that the Judiciary supports Iranian nationals worldwide, and whenever an Iranian faces legal issues in other countries, authorities from bodies such as the Foreign Ministry and the High Council for Human Rights will work to facilitate their release.
Regarding France’s arbitrary detention of Mahdieh Esfandiari, who is an Iranian citizen and a supporter of Palestinian rights, he said that the judicial system prioritized this issue immediately and that Iran’s consulate staff members in France had met with the Iranian national on at least three occasions.
According to the spokesperson, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office announced that Esfandiari is being prosecuted on charges of terrorism and crimes related to social media activity, despite the fact that she had published a post in support of the oppressed Palestinian nation on her Telegram channel.
He further said that Esfandiari’s detention represents a blatant violation of freedom of expression and personal security, as emphasized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Esfandiari, a graduate of the University of Lyon and a translator who has been living in France since 2018, disappeared in March 2025. Following diplomatic efforts, the Iranian government later confirmed that she was in police custody.