Iranian national jailed in France for promoting terrorism online

A French court has jailed an Iranian woman whom Tehran had indicated could be exchanged for two French nationals it held for alleged espionage.

Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari was sentenced on Thursday to four years in prison, three of which were suspended, for promoting terrorism on social media. She was also banned from French territory.

The 39-year-old was jailed over comments she was accused of having made online, including calling the deadly Hamas-led 7 October attack on Israel an "act of resistance".

Her lawyer said she would appeal the "severe" sentence against Esfandiari, whom Iranian authorities repeatedly said had been held unjustly since her arrest in France in February 2025.

She has been seen as a potential bargaining chip for the release of French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, held in Iran since May 2022.

In October, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghachi said a deal to exchange her for French detainees had been agreed pending the completion of the "legal and judicial procedure" in both countries.

The French government has not confirmed the existence of such an arrangement.

Kohler, 41, and her partner Paris, 72 are thought to be the only French nationals held in the country. Iranian state media reported that they had been found guilty of spying on behalf of France and Israel, and handed lengthy prison sentences.

President Emmanuel Macron said in November that the pair had been released from Tehran's Evin Prison and that "dialogue continues to allow for their return to France as quickly as possible".

They were taken to the French embassy in Iran "ahead of their final release", France's foreign minister said at the time. They have not yet left the country.

Their families have vehemently denied the allegations against them, while French authorities have said the pair have been held as "state hostages" in conditions akin to torture. Iran denies the claims.