A French prosecutor asked the court to impose an effective one-year sentence on 39-year-old Mahdieh Esfandiari for allegedly promoting "terrorism" via posts tied to an "Axis of the Resistance" channel on platforms including Telegram and X. She spent roughly eight months in pre-trial detention and denies authoring the posts, saying the October 7 attack was an act of resistance. The prosecutor requested four years with three suspended; judgment is set for Feb. 26. Iran has suggested it could trade Esfandiari for two French nationals still in Iran.
French Prosecutor Seeks Effective One-Year Term for Iranian Over Online 'Axis of the Resistance' Posts
Mahdieh Esfandiari said the Hamas attacks did not amount to 'terrorism' (STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN)(STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/AFP)
A French prosecutor asked a court on Friday to impose an effective one-year prison term on Mahdieh Esfandiari, a 39-year-old Iranian national accused of promoting and inciting so-called 'terrorism' via social media posts tied to a channel called "Axis of the Resistance." Judgment in the case is expected on February 26.
Esfandiari was arrested in France in February on charges related to comments and material attributed to her about the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel. French authorities say the material appeared on platforms including Telegram, X, Twitch and YouTube during 2023 and 2024.
The prosecutor told the court he was seeking a four-year sentence, with three years suspended—which would result in a one-year custodial term—but added that re-incarceration would not be necessary. Esfandiari spent about eight months in pre-trial detention and was released in October pending trial, which opened earlier this week.
In court, Esfandiari—who has translated works into French for a publisher linked to Iranian authorities—acknowledged involvement in the "Axis of the Resistance" project but denied writing the channel's posts herself. Responding to questions about the October 7 attack, she told judges:
It's not an act of terrorism, it's an act of resistance.
French Pair and Swap Talks
The trial has taken on wider diplomatic significance because Iranian officials have suggested Esfandiari could be exchanged for two French nationals held in Iran. Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris were detained in May 2022; their families deny espionage charges that led to their conviction. They were freed in November and escorted to France's diplomatic mission in Tehran but remain in Iran pending travel arrangements.
In November, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, indicated Tehran could allow the two French nationals to return home in exchange for France freeing Esfandiari. Iran's ambassador to France, Mohammad Amin Nejad, said he hoped the arrangements between the two states could soon be completed.
French officials have described Kohler and Paris as 'state hostages,' alleging Tehran has detained some Western citizens to extract concessions. Dozens of Western nationals have been detained in similar circumstances in recent years; Iran says foreign detainees are tried according to its laws. The court is due to deliver its judgment on February 26.
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