WANA (Apr 14) – As global outrage mounts over Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have continued across major cities worldwide. In France, protests have been met with heavy-handed suppression — not just in the streets but increasingly on social media.

 

According to reports, a 35-year-old Iranian woman has been arrested on charges of “glorifying and promoting terrorism” due to her online activity in social media posts related to the war in Gaza.

 

Mahdieh Esfandiari, a French translator and university lecturer, has been living in the city of Lyon for the past eight years. But on Friday, February 28, 2025, she suddenly disappeared.

 

Armin Arefi, a journalist for the French weekly Le Point, says French police have detained Esfandiari at an undisclosed location, and there is no information available confirming she is alive.

 

The Iranian Embassy in Paris has confirmed that it has not been able to meet with its citizens and does not know whether she has access to legal representation.

 

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also commented, saying that detaining this Iranian woman without any explanation to her family or to the Iranian Foreign Ministry amounts to “human hostage-taking.”

 

“Opposing genocide is considered as supporting terrorism! This is a reversal of words and concepts, which I believe is very harmful to the norms and rules of human rights,” Baghaei stated. He added: “Our demand from the French government remains that they grant her consular access.”

 

So far, French judicial and government officials have remained silent on Mahdieh Esfandiari’s arrest and have issued no formal response.