WANA (Jun 11) – The spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced ongoing efforts by the ministry to secure the release of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian citizen detained in France. He stated that diplomatic efforts are focused on persuading the investigating judge to approve her temporary release and allow her to reside outside the detention facility.

 

Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, provided updates on the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari, who has been held in French custody since March 2025.

 

“The case of Ms. Esfandiari, an Iranian national detained by French police since March 2025, is being seriously followed by the Ministry,” Baghaei said. “The Iranian Embassy in Paris is closely monitoring the situation and has met with her several times, including a consular visit by the ambassador himself. With the Embassy’s efforts, a lawyer has been appointed for Ms. Esfandiari, and we are working to convince the judge to approve her temporary release and housing outside the detention center.”

 

Baghaei added that “France, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and various human rights instruments, has clear legal obligations in relation to Ms. Esfandiari, many of which have not been properly fulfilled so far.” He emphasized that the Foreign Ministry remains committed to pursuing the case as part of its duty to protect the rights of Iranian nationals abroad.

 

Regarding media coverage, he noted: “It’s important to recall that I personally raised this issue in one of the earliest press briefings — around mid-March 2025, if I’m not mistaken — in response to a journalist’s question. The case was then covered a few weeks later in the French magazine Le Point, and since then, it has been brought up in at least six of our briefings over the past two months.”

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

Vahid Jalalzadeh, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Expatriate Affairs, also weighed in, saying: “We consider Ms. Esfandiari’s detention to be a form of hostage-taking — and this from a country that claims to champion freedom of expression.”

 

He explained that “Ms. Esfandiari was arrested for publishing content on social media in support of the people of Gaza. Yet the French government has so far failed to produce any legitimate legal evidence to justify the charges against her.”

 

Jalalzadeh revealed that Iran has taken “nearly 42 legal and consular actions” in connection with the case and affirmed: “We will stand by Ms. Esfandiari until she is released and will continue to pursue every possible avenue to secure her freedom.”

 

Mohaddeseh Esfandiari, Mahdieh’s sister, also spoke out, stating: “My sister has been in detention in France since March 2025, solely for supporting the people of Gaza and reposting related news on social media. It took 55 days before she was granted consular access.”

 

She added: “My sister is in poor condition — unable to properly observe her hijab, facing dietary issues, and struggling mentally. She remains in solitary confinement. She had been planning to return to Iran and was arrested just days before her scheduled departure. We are calling for her unconditional release.”