On Thursday, the French judiciary issued a ruling to sentence Iranian Mahdia Esfandiari to one year in prison and a permanent ban from entering French territory, after convicting her of glorifying terrorism. On Monday, the Iranian authorities expressed their desire to exchange their citizenship for Frenchmen Cécile Coller and Jacques Paris, who are under house arrest in the French embassy in the Islamic Republic.

Published on: 02/26/2026 - 14:42 Last updated: 02/26/2026 - 15:27

The French judiciary on Thursday sentenced Iranian Mahdia Esfandiari to one year in prison, after convicting her of glorifying terrorism, with a permanent ban on entering French territory, according to what a journalist at the French news agency who was present at the court in Paris reported.

Esfandiari may constitute a potential card in an exchange with Tehran in exchange for Frenchmen Cécile Koehler and Jacques Paris, who are under residence in the French embassy in Iran after more than three years of detention. The Iranian authorities expressed their desire to exchange their citizenship for the French on Monday, as soon as the judicial procedures in France are completed.

It is not yet clear how this exchange will be implemented, at a time when there is great uncertainty surrounding the situation in Iran, in light of the heavy US military deployment in the Gulf, and Washington’s threats to resort to the military option if the diplomatic path regarding the Iranian nuclear program fails.

Esfandiari, 39, who was born in Iran and arrived in France in 2018, was tried in Paris on charges of glorifying a terrorist act. The French Public Prosecution suspects that Esfandiari made posts on accounts called the “Axis of Resistance” in 2023 and 2024, particularly on the platforms Telegram, X, Twitch, YouTube, and a website run by Alain Soral.

Esfandiari's defense agent, lawyer Nabil Boudi, told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday that he expected the judiciary to "acquit her." He added, "With regard to the exchange process (with the Frenchman Kohler and Paris), everything will depend on the expected decision."

France 24/AFP

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