Source: France 24 [French state media]
“A French court on Thursday sentenced Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari to one year in prison for justifying terrorism. Esfandiari, 39, was arrested in France last year over comments she is accused of having made on social media, including on Palestinian militant group Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. She was sentenced to four years, of which three are suspended, the judge said, citing ‘the nature of the acts and their seriousness.’ … Some observers see Esfandiari as a potential bargaining chip in negotiations with Tehran for the release of French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been held in Iran since May 2022.” (02/26/26)