Paris,
A French prosecutor has requested a one-year prison sentence for an Iranian woman accused of promoting terrorism through online comments, in a case that has drawn attention due to its potential links to a diplomatic exchange involving French citizens held in Iran.
The woman, Mahdieh Esfandiari, 39, was arrested in France in February last year on charges of glorifying and inciting terrorism via social media platforms. A court verdict in the case is expected on 26 February, following a trial that began earlier this week.
French authorities say Esfandiari made a series of online comments in 2023 and 2024, including posts relating to the Palestinian militant group Hamas and its 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. Prosecutors allege that the content was published across platforms such as Telegram, X, Twitch and YouTube, through a channel known as the “Axis of the Resistance”.
At Friday’s hearing, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a four-year prison sentence, with three years suspended, effectively meaning one year in custody. However, the prosecution said it would not seek Esfandiari’s immediate re-incarceration, as she has already spent around eight months in pre-trial detention before being released in October pending trial.
Esfandiari, who has previously translated works into French for a publisher linked to Iranian state institutions, acknowledged her involvement with the “Axis of the Resistance” project but denied authoring the posts in question. Addressing the court, she said she did not consider the October 2023 Hamas attack to be an act of terrorism, describing it instead as resistance.
Diplomatic Sensitivities
The case has attracted additional scrutiny due to its diplomatic context. Iranian authorities have indicated they would be willing to exchange Esfandiari for two French citizens previously detained in Iran.
The pair, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, were arrested in Iran in May 2022 on espionage charges that their families and the French government have consistently rejected. After more than three years in detention, they were released in November and transferred to the French diplomatic mission in Tehran, though they have yet to leave the country.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last year that Tehran was prepared to allow the two French citizens to return home in exchange for Esfandiari’s release. Iran’s ambassador to France reiterated this position on Thursday, expressing hope that arrangements between the two governments would allow the pair to return soon.
France has described Kohler and Paris as “state hostages”, accusing Tehran of detaining foreign nationals to gain political leverage. French officials say the espionage charges were fabricated, a claim Iran has repeatedly denied.
Wider Context
In recent years, dozens of European, North American and other Western citizens have been detained in Iran under similar circumstances, often on national security charges. Iran maintains that all arrests are carried out in accordance with its laws, while Western governments argue that such detentions are politically motivated.
The French court’s decision in Esfandiari’s case is likely to be closely watched, both for its legal implications and its potential impact on ongoing diplomatic discussions between Paris and Tehran.
