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Iran·France·Palestine·Israel·Diplomacy·Human Rights

Iranian woman held in France over pro-Palestine comments returns home in apparent prisoner swap

Wednesday, 15 April 2026, 10:03 · 1 min read

Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari has returned to Iran after being detained in France for over a year following her conviction on charges of promoting "terrorism" for online comments supportive of Palestine and the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Her release comes one week after French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris arrived home following more than three years in Iranian custody on espionage charges their families deny. While France has not formally acknowledged a prisoner exchange, Iran's state media said the two governments reached an agreement, and the timing of both releases strongly suggests a coordinated swap between Paris and Tehran.

Sources
Al Jazeera EnglishIran citizen held in France over pro-Palestine comments returns home ↗︎
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