DUBAI: Iran has welcomed the conditional release of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian student detained in France earlier this year for alleged anti-Israel social media posts, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry said Tehran “welcomes the decision of a French judge to issue a conditional release order for Ms. Esfandiari” and vowed to continue diplomatic efforts until she is “fully released and returns to her homeland.”Iran had previously accused France of arbitrary detention, arguing that Esfandiari — a student residing in Lyon — was being held for expressing political opinions online.
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On Tuesday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency quoted a Foreign Ministry official suggesting that Esfandiari’s release could be linked to a possible prisoner swap. However, Wednesday’s statement did not reference any exchange deal or provide updates on two French nationals, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been detained in Iran since 2022 on spying charges.
Both Kohler and Paris were recently sentenced to long prison terms, which Paris has dismissed as “unfounded.” Analysts believe their continued imprisonment could play into broader diplomatic negotiations between Tehran and Paris.