TEHRAN- An Iranian academic who had been imprisoned in France on charges related to her public statements about the war in Gaza has returned to Iran, according to reports from Iranian media outlets.
Mahdieh Esfandiari, 39, arrived in Iran on Wednesday after sustained diplomatic efforts by Iranian authorities to secure her release.
Esfandiari had been detained in France and later sentenced on February 26 by a French court to four years in prison on charges of what they called “public defense of terrorism.”
The charges were tied to her public condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which she described as genocide. The court also imposed a permanent ban on her entry into French territory.
Before her sentencing, Esfandiari had spent approximately eight months in pretrial detention. She had been living in France as a graduate of Lumière University Lyon 2, where she previously worked in academic and language-related roles, including as a translator and interpreter.
Upon her arrival in Iran, Esfandiari criticized the legal process in France, saying it demonstrated a lack of freedom of expression. “The court’s ruling was very unjust,” she said, according to Iranian news agencies. “It is now clear that, at least in France, there is no freedom of expression.”
"They imposed restrictions on me and held me hostage until their two spies were brought back to France, and on the same day those restrictions were lifted, and we were able to arrange the travel preparations,” she said. Esfandiari was able to travel back to Iran upon the return to France of two French citizens, who had been held in the Islamic Republic of Iran for espionage.
Her case comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Western countries, particularly in the aftermath of recent regional conflicts and diplomatic disputes.
No comments:
Post a Comment