1 week Ago
The disappearance of Mahdieh Esfandiari, a 39-year-old Iranian citizen who has been living in the city of Lyon, France since 2018, was announced by her family in March 2025, the Iranian Judiciary's Mizan news agency said in a report. After a long period without any news from her, Esfandiari's family informed the Iranian authorities, and the process of following up on the status of this Iranian citizen began at that time. Esfandiari is a translator and graduate of the University of Lyon, who disappeared in early March 2025.
Following diplomatic efforts, it was revealed that Esfandiari had been arrested by the French police, but the details of this case and the charges against her remained unknown. Finally, the French publication Le Point reported on April 12 that French authorities broke their one-month silence and provided information about the fate of this Iranian citizen. According to Mizan, Shahin Hazami, an independent journalist and supporter of Palestine, wrote on his social media account that Mahdieh Esfandiari was arrested after publishing messages on a Telegram channel condemning the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
He described Esfandiari's arrest as a worrying turning point, indicating an intensification of suppression against those who speak out about the current crimes in Gaza and condemn the genocide of the Palestinian people. MNA.
