Iran (IMNA) - Jalalzadeh said Tehran has formulated a political and consular package that both countries must implement to expedite Esfandiari’s release. He expressed hope that the 39-year-old scholar, who has been arbitrarily detained in France since March, would return home soon.
The deputy minister described Esfandiari’s imprisonment as an act of hostage-taking by the French government, criticizing Paris for its double standards on freedom of speech. He said Iran has pursued all legal and consular measures since her arrest to secure her freedom.
Esfandiari, an Iranian academic residing in Lyon, was arrested on March 3, 2025, during a surprise raid by French security officers. Her detention, reportedly linked to her posts condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the massacre of Palestinian women and children, has sparked international outrage.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly protested her detention, summoning the French envoy in Tehran and demanding legal justification. However, French authorities have provided “no solid legal evidence” for the charges, which accuse Esfandiari of “glorifying terrorism.”
Her family has described the arrest as kidnapping, revealing that she was held for over 50 days in solitary confinement, denied contact with family, and subjected to psychological pressure and mistreatment, including being forced to remove her hijab.
Now, more than 230 days after her arrest, Esfandiari remains in custody without a clear legal case against her. Supporters and human rights advocates have condemned her detention as a politically motivated violation of free expression, exposing what they call the hypocrisy of France’s human rights narrative.
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