A French prosecutor has called for a four-year prison sentence, with three years suspended, for an Iranian woman accused of promoting “terrorism” online. The case is linked to a possible prisoner swap involving French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who were released from jail in Tehran but have not yet been allowed to leave Iran.
Mahdieh Esfandiari, 39, was arrested in France in February on charges of promoting and inciting “tterrorism” on social media. The offences carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and a fine of up to €100,000.
She's accused of writing posts for a channel called "Axis of the Resistance" in 2023 and 2024 on platforms including Telegram, X, Twitch and YouTube.
In particular, the organisation’s Telegram account glorified the deadly attack carried out by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on 7 October 2023 in Israel, incited terrorist acts and insulted the Jewish community.
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Court proceedings
Esfandiari was held in pre-trial detention for around eight months before being released in October ahead of her trial. The hearing began on Tuesday and had been scheduled long before protests erupted in Iran.
The prosecutor asked the court to impose a four-year jail term, including three years suspended, but said it would not be necessary for Esfandiari to return to prison.
Esfandiari, who has translated into French works from a publisher linked to Iranian authorities, told the court she had taken part in the “Axis of the Resistance” project but did not write the posts attributed to her.
She said the Hamas attacks in 2023 should not be considered “terrorism”.
“It’s not an act of terrorism, it’s an act of resistance,” she said.
The court is expected to deliver its verdict at a later date.
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French pair waiting to return
Kohler and Paris were arrested in Iran in May 2022 and held for more than three years on espionage charges that their families strongly denied. They were released in November.
After their release, French diplomats took them to France’s mission in Tehran, where they remain while awaiting permission to leave the country.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in November that Tehran would allow the pair to return to France in “exchange” for Esfandiari’s release.
France has neither confirmed nor denied that any such deal exists.
But it has reduced staffing levels at its embassy in Tehran following nationwide protests that erupted last week. The unrest is seen as one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s clerical leadership since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Iran’s ambassador to France, Mohammad Amin Nejad, said late Thursday that he hoped Kohler and Paris would soon be able to return home.
“My wish is for their return as soon as possible after arrangements have been made between the two states,” he said.
(with newswires)
