Iranian citizen held in France returns to Tehran after French nationals' release

Lead

An Iranian national who spent more than a year in custody in France has returned to Tehran, according to Iranian state television. The release of Mahdieh Esfandiari comes a week after two French citizens held in Iran for over three years arrived back in France, in what appears to be a mutual release of detainees between the two countries.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from Al Jazeera and RFI, both citing Iranian state television and the AFP news agency, align on the core facts of the case. Iranian state media described Esfandiari as a "rights activist" and "Palestinian rights activist," while the court in France that convicted her framed her offense as justifying terrorism over social media comments. The two outlets also agree on the timeline of events: Esfandiari was arrested in February of the previous year, released on bail in October, and sentenced to one year in prison in February of this year.

Both reports note that her return follows the release of French citizens Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, who were arrested in Iran in May 2022 and freed last November, then held under house arrest at the French embassy in Tehran until their full release on April 7. The French government has described their release as the result of a "long-term effort," with talks accelerating in recent weeks.

Key Claims

• Mahdieh Esfandiari was released from French custody after more than a year and returned to Iran, as reported by both Al Jazeera and RFI, citing Iranian state television.
• Esfandiari was sentenced to one year in prison for online comments supportive of Palestine and the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, according to both outlets.
• Her release came a week after French citizens Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris arrived in France after being held in Iran for over three years, as reported by both sources.
• Kohler and Paris were arrested in May 2022 on espionage charges, which their families have denied. They were freed in November of the previous year and remained under house arrest at the French embassy in Tehran until April 7, per both reports.
• Esfandiari was arrested in France on charges of promoting terrorism and released on bail in October, according to both outlets. A French court later convicted her of justifying terrorism.

Perspectives

French authorities: President Emmanuel Macron's office said the release of Kohler and Paris was the outcome of a "long-term effort," with talks intensifying in recent weeks. No official statement has been made regarding Esfandiari's release.

Iranian state media: Presented Esfandiari as a "rights activist" and framed her conviction as unjust. Esfandiari herself, in a broadcast on state television, said there is "no freedom of speech, at least not in France" and called the court's ruling "very unjust."

Esfandiari: The University of Lyon graduate, who had lived in France since 2018 and worked as a translator, denied the legitimacy of the charges, according to her remarks aired on Iranian state television.

French citizens Kohler and Paris: Their families have vehemently denied the espionage charges. The couple described their detention to French media as a "daily horror," according to an RFI report. Iranian officials had previously suggested they could be freed as part of an exchange for Esfandiari, though this claim has not been independently confirmed.