WANA (Apr 24) – Vahid Jalalzadeh, Deputy Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Iranian Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with a family member of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian national detained by the French government.

 

Jalalzadeh announced the meeting on the social platform X, saying, “As part of the ongoing efforts by my colleagues, I met with a member of Ms. Esfandiari’s family, who has been taken hostage by the French government — a self-proclaimed defender of free speech — for supporting the oppressed people of Palestine.”

 

He added that he briefed the family on the latest diplomatic actions and assured them that the Foreign Ministry would continue its efforts until her release is secured.

 

Background on the Case

Mahdieh Esfandiari, a 35-year-old Iranian translator and university lecturer residing in Lyon for the past eight years, was arrested on February 28, 2025.

 

French authorities have reportedly charged her with “glorifying and promoting terrorism” in connection with her social media posts about the Gaza conflict.

 

Despite numerous diplomatic attempts by Iran’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Paris, French officials have denied consular access to Esfandiari and have not permitted her to make phone contact with her family.

Vahid Jalalzadeh, Deputy Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Iranian Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with a family member of Mahdieh Esfandiari. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Esfandiari is not the only Iranian under arrest. Shahin Hazami, a French-Iranian journalist and media activist, has also been arrested by the French government for supporting Palestine.

 

The Islamic Awakening Assembly has condemned the French government for the arrest of Mahdieh Esfandiari and Shahin Hezami over their support for the Palestinian people.

 

In a statement, the Assembly described their detention as arbitrary, inhumane, and a blatant violation of international law and human rights conventions.

 

The statement criticized France’s denial of consular access and phone contact, accusing the country of suppressing free speech and aligning itself with Israeli war crimes in Gaza. It also denounced France’s declining role in global affairs and its ineffective foreign policy.

 

Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Esfandiari and Hezami, the Assembly urged international human rights organizations, independent governments, and freedom-loving nations to take a stand against what it called France’s discriminatory and unjust actions.