Iranian woman convicted in France for “terrorism glorification” returns home

Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari, who was convicted in France for “glorifying terrorism,” has returned to Iran days after two French citizens, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, previously held in Tehran, arrived in Paris.

The 39-year-old was sentenced by a French court in February to one year in prison with time served and a lifetime ban from entering France, Caliber.Az reports, citing French media.

She had also been under house arrest pending her return.

Iranian state television reported that Esfandiari, described by Iranian media as a “pro-Palestinian rights activist,” left France on April 15.

French authorities accused her of social media posts that, in the court’s view, justified the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and incited violence.

Her case is currently under appeal, which temporarily suspended parts of the sentence, including the deportation order.

Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been held in Iran for several years.

French officials, however, say there was no formal prisoner exchange, describing the developments as parallel diplomatic processes.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov