WANA (Jun 27) – The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in Geneva has called for the immediate release of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian citizen detained in France.

 

In a statement issued during the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Iran’s representative expressed strong support for the Palestinian cause and urged the international community to stand by human rights activists, particularly women and girls, who have dedicated their lives to the liberation of Palestine from occupation and oppression.

 

The Iranian delegation demanded that the French government release Esfandiari, a university professor and human rights advocate for Palestine, who has been held in what it described as “arbitrary detention” by French police for the past four months and subjected to mistreatment.

 

Mahdieh Esfandiari, 39, has reportedly been held in Fresnes Prison near Paris since her arrest, which Iranian officials say was linked to her pro-Palestinian activism.

 

Iran’s mission also called on UN mechanisms focused on women’s rights—such as the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women—to intervene in support of Esfandiari. During the Council’s annual discussion on women’s rights, Iran further urged the international community to intensify its efforts in defending both the Palestinian cause and those who advocate for it.

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