At UN Human Rights Council, Iran protests France’s arbitrary detention of Esfandiari
Iran's ambassador to the Geneva-based UN organizations has protested France’s arbitrary detention of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian citizen and university lecturer in the European country, calling for her immediate release.
Speaking at the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Thursday, Ali Bahreini called on the French government to release Esfandiari.
He also emphasized the need for the international community to support pro-Palestinian human rights activists, women and girls who have dedicated their lives to liberating Palestine from occupation and oppression.
The 39-year-old university professor and pro-Palestinian activist has for more than four months been arbitrarily detained by French police on the outskirts of Paris and subjected to harassment and torture.
The Iranian envoy also called for the immediate intervention and support of international mechanisms such as the "Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls" and the "Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women" to secure her release.
✍️ Viewpoint - France's war on truth: Why Mahdieh Esfandiari’s arrest, mistreatment should alarm us all
— #FreeMahdieh (@free_mahdieh) June 7, 2025
By @AlAqsaRevolthttps://t.co/PLV9wG7QqK#FreeMahdieh
During his speech at the 47-member council, whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world, Bahreini urged the international community to engage in more serious efforts to support the Palestinian people and human rights defenders active in this field.
Iran’s judiciary has condemned Esfandiari’s detention as "illegal and a blatant breach of freedom of expression and personal security," citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—both ratified by France.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has also denounced the months-long arrest of Esfandiari as a form of “hostage-taking” by the French judiciary.
Esfandiari has since February 28 been held in detention in the suburbs of Paris after publishing messages on a Telegram channel in condemnation of Israel’s ongoing genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.
For two days following her arrest, no information about her whereabouts was disclosed. It was only after persistent follow-ups by her friends and family that they learnt she was in police custody.
Esfandiari was subsequently transferred to Fresnes Prison, located outside Paris.
She is a linguist with a degree in French language from Lumiere University and has lived in the French city of Lyon for the past eight years. She works as a professor, translator, and interpreter at the Lumiere University.
The 470-km distance between Lyon and Paris has made it extremely difficult for her family and friends to pursue her case or provide her with any form of support.
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