By Ivan Kesic

Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian female academic residing in France, has become the latest target of repression by the French government due to her public support for Palestinians in Gaza and condemnation of Israeli genocidal crimes.

On Saturday, French authorities finally acknowledged that they were holding an Iranian national in detention, based on dubious charges regarding her online activities.

Esfandiari, 39, has been held in one of France’s most notorious prisons for a month and a half, during which the French police and judiciary denied her family contact for two weeks.

Furthermore, French authorities refused for an entire month to provide detailed information to the Iranian foreign ministry, which intervened at the family's request.

Who is Mahdieh Esfandiari?

Mahdieh Esfandiari is an Iranian linguist and French language graduate who has lived in France for the past eight years. She resides in the city of Lyon, the third largest city in France.

Esfandiari graduated from Lumière University, where she works as a professor, translator, and interpreter. She is also a prominent pro-Palestinian activist with a significant online presence.

Esfandiari’s past activism includes participation in women’s rights and human rights campaigns, active engagement on social media with a focus on West Asian issues, and attendance at pro-Palestinian protest rallies in France.

Fellow activists familiar with her work say she published a series of posts condemning the Israeli genocide in Gaza, portraying her as a victim of France’s clampdown on pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Her case has drawn comparisons to that of Iranian music maestro Bashir Biazar, who accompanied his wife on an academic mission to France and was imprisoned for several weeks last year over pro-Palestinian lyrics.

French arrest and accusations against Esfandiari

Esfandiari was arrested by French police in Lyon on February 28, 2025, and has been held at Fresnes Prison in Val-de-Marne, south of Paris, since March 2.

Fresnes Prison, the second-largest city in the European country, is notorious for housing dangerous criminals and for its harsh and inhumane conditions.

It was also the last facility in France intended for the use of the guillotine.

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office charged the Iranian academic with "apologie du terrorisme" (public defense of terrorism), based on Telegram posts, which they claimed were supportive of the Hamas-led Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in October 2023.

Additional charges include "online provocation of terrorism, insults based on origin or religion, and refusal to provide access codes to her social media accounts" (X and Telegram).

She was placed in provisional detention following an investigation launched by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNLH) on November 7, 2024.

Her family lost contact with her in late February 2025, prompting them to alert Iranian authorities, who in turn contacted their French counterparts.

Initially, French authorities offered no public explanation, heightening diplomatic tensions. On April 12, 2025, they finally confirmed her detention, citing her online activity.

Due to the French authorities' limited transparency, the specific content of Esfandiari’s Telegram posts remains undisclosed in public reports, making it difficult to assess the legitimacy of the charges against her.

What did Iran's Foreign Ministry say?

On March 10, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei addressed local media inquiries regarding the disappearance of an Iranian citizen in France.

“Unfortunately, we have learned that one of our citizens residing in France has gone missing in recent days, and so far, we have not received any specific information from the relevant French authorities regarding her status,” Baghaei stated.

He added that the foreign ministry contacted the French Embassy in Tehran, and its consular section has been following up, hoping to obtain precise information as soon as possible to alleviate the family's concerns.

Esfandiari’s family reached out to the Iranian ministry after receiving no news of her for 12 to 13 days—an unusual development, given that defendants have the legal right to communicate with family, lawyers, and embassies.

Baghaei later shared updated information during a press conference.

“Although our efforts have unfortunately not yielded results, we have at least learned that she is in the custody of the French police,” he stated.

“We do not know the reason for this, but we do know that this respected woman has been an activist in support of the people of Palestine and had apparently published content in solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza.”

In subsequent remarks on April 7, Baghaei expressed hope that the French government would provide consular access to Esfandiari as soon as possible, following several weeks of refusal, in accordance with international law, and clarify the grounds for her arrest.

What did Esfandiari’s family and lawyer say?

Mahdieh Esfandiari’s family has called the accusations baseless and retained Nabil Boudi, a lawyer known for defending migrants in France, to represent her in court.

On Monday, Boudi issued a statement regarding her shocking arrest.

“The firm was approached by the family of Mrs. Mahdieh Esfandiari Jaliseh, an Iranian translator who has lived in France for nearly ten years and has been in pre-trial detention since March 2 at Fresnes Prison, following her indictment,” he said.

At this stage, her family raised serious concerns about several troubling aspects of the case, including the sudden nature of her arrest, especially considering the significant time lapse, casting legitimate doubt on the urgency or necessity of such a severe measure.

As the case appears to fall under press freedoms, the family called for strict adherence to those principles and opposed the criminalization of expression.

“The firm will ensure with the utmost vigilance that the fundamental rights of Ms. Mahdieh Esfandiari Jaliseh are upheld, foremost among them the right to a fair trial and freedom of expression, as guaranteed by the Constitution and France’s international obligations,” Boudi added.

Press TV’s website

The Foreign Ministry says a French judge has granted conditional release to Iranian academic Mahdieh Esfandiari, detained in France for pro-Palestinian activism.

Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that Tehran would continue to pursue the case of Esfandiari, a 39-year-old Iranian translator and university lecturer residing in Lyon, until her complete freedom.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue its efforts until the complete release of this compatriot and her return home,” Baghaei said.

Esfandiari, who had lived in France for nearly eight years, mysteriously disappeared on March 1, 2025, prompting her family to alert Iranian authorities.

Subsequent consular follow-ups revealed that the French police had arrested her.

Esfandiari’s detention was under the pretext of her activity on a pro-Palestine Telegram channel.

Her arrest drew sharp condemnation from the Islamic Republic. Tehran said it was politically motivated and a violation of free expression.

On Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahid Jalalzadeh said Esfandiari’s name had been put forward in a prisoner exchange arrangement with France.

Pending transfer to residence outside detention center

According to Baghaei, Esfandiari would be transferred from prison to a residence outside the detention facility and would remain under supervision until her trial is held.

The court hearing could take place in December or January, the official added.

The spokesman expressed optimism regarding the possibility of Esfandiari’s complete freedom, saying, “I am optimistic and hope this will happen.”

He, meanwhile, said the Islamic Republic views this move by France as a positive gesture and welcomes it.

Press TV’s website 

The Fifth of Jamadi-Ul-Awal marks the birth anniversary of Hazrat Zainab (SA) who was the daughter of Hazrat Ali (AS), the first Shia imam, and granddaughter of Hazrat Muhammad (S).

She is celebrated by Muslims as having valiantly and successfully defended the life of the lone surviving male member of the family of Imam Hussein (AS), the fourth Shia Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS), after the battle of Karbala.

This day is also called the Nurses Day in Iran to pay tribute to nurses for all their efforts.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll has revealed that a majority of Americans want the United States to recognize the Palestinian state, underscoring that President Donald Trump’s opposition to such recognition is increasingly out of step with public opinion.

The six-day national survey, which concluded on Monday, found that 59% of Americans, including 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans, believe Washington should formally recognize Palestinian statehood.

Only 33% of respondents opposed the idea, while the rest were either unsure or declined to answer.

Even among Trump’s own supporters, the poll showed a noticeable divide. Nearly 53% opposed recognition, but a growing minority within right-wing Republican ranks expressed support, signaling a shift in attitudes toward the Palestinian cause. Overall, 41% of Republicans said they would back recognition of Palestine.

The survey comes as a wave of international recognition gains momentum, with several US allies, including Australia, Britain, Canada, and France, formally recognizing the State of Palestine in recent weeks. The move has drawn sharp condemnation from the Israeli regime.

Nearly 60% of Americans surveyed also said they believe Israel’s actions in Gaza have been “excessive”, reflecting growing discomfort with a campaign widely denounced by humanitarian organizations and the global community as genocidal.

Meanwhile, 32% of Americans, mostly right-wing Republicans, expressed support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, despite the regime having killed at least 68,229 Palestinians and injured 170,369 since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal war on the besieged strip.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has largely backed Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

Earlier this month, he brokered a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and the Israeli regime.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that many Americans would credit Trump if the truce holds; 51% of respondents, nearly all Republicans, said “Trump deserves significant credit” for any peace achieved, compared with 42% who disagreed.

However, only 5% of Democrats approved of Trump’s overall performance as president, and just 25% said he should receive credit for the ceasefire.

Press TV’s website

The Gaza Government Media Office has reported that bodies of Palestinian martyrs and prisoners returned by Israel under the ceasefire agreement show clear signs of torture, including hanging marks, ropes around necks, and close-range gunshot wounds.

According to Gaza’s Committee for the Retrieval of Bodies, a total of 195 bodies have been received from Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since the ceasefire, which took effect on October 10.

The Government Media Office, in a statement, said that at least 54 Palestinian bodies have been identified.

Official forensic examinations reportedly confirmed that the deceased had been subjected to brutal violations while in Israeli custody.

Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Gaza media office, said that medical teams documented hand- and foot-binding with plastic restraints, blindfolds, burns, fractures, and evidence of being run over by tank treads.

“These acts constitute conclusive evidence of field executions,” Al-Thawabta was quoted as saying.

He called on the international community and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and hold Israel and its supporters accountable for the crime.

Meanwhile, Palestinian families are attempting to identify the bodies through remaining features or clothing, as most were returned without names or documents. Officials said that many bodies were mutilated or dismembered, making identification extremely difficult.

Several medical reports indicate that bodies of Palestinians returned to Gaza by Israeli authorities exhibited clear signs of torture and execution, including gunshot wounds to the head.

Media reports recently quoting documents and medical sources reported that at least 135 of the mutilated bodies had been held in a notorious Israeli detention center, which has long faced allegations of torture and unlawful deaths in custody.

The Director General of Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza and a spokesperson for Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, Dr Munir al-Bursh, said a document found inside each body bag indicated that all the bodies came from Sde Teiman, a military base in the Negev desert where Palestinian detainees were held in cages, blindfolded and handcuffed, shackled to hospital beds and forced to wear nappies.

Doctors in Khan Yunis said official examinations and field observations “clearly indicate that Israel carried out acts of murder, summary executions and systematic torture against many of the Palestinians.”

In a statement on Friday, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) emphasized that these acts reflect Israel’s profound moral collapse and its ongoing efforts to dehumanize Palestinians, even posthumously.

The statement further said that the deliberate disfigurement of bodies and the erasure of identities reflect “a Nazi-like, fascist mindset aimed at concealing evidence and evading accountability.”

Press TV’s website

The Gaza Government Media Office says that merely 986 aid trucks have entered the besieged territory since the ceasefire between the Hamas resistance movement and the Israeli regime went into force on October 10.

The office reported that the arrived aid trucks account for only 15 percent of the 6,600 trucks that were expected to arrive by October 20.

It said the convoys consisted solely of 14 trucks that were transporting cooking gas and 28 trucks that were carrying solar fuel utilized for powering bakeries, generators, hospitals, and other vital facilities.

The supply continues to be critically inadequate after months of blockade and the “systematic destruction resulting from the genocide perpetrated by the ‘Israeli’ occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip,” it said.

Officials said that the average number of trucks that have been entering Gaza daily since the ceasefire entered into effect is just 89, which is considerably less than the 600 trucks that were previously agreed upon.

The statement characterized the situation as proof of Israel’s ongoing “policy of strangulation, starvation, and human blackmail” directed towards nearly 2 million inhabitants of Gaza.

“These limited quantities do not cover the minimum humanitarian and living needs,” the office warned.

It underlined the critical necessity for a consistent and unimpeded delivery of no fewer than 600 trucks each day, which should include food, medical and relief supplies, fuel, and cooking gas in order to satisfy fundamental survival needs.

The Government Media Office has reaffirmed that authorities in Gaza are prepared to collaborate with international humanitarian and relief organizations to enable the entry and distribution of aid throughout all governorates and vital sectors “for the benefit of our resilient Palestinian people.”

Since the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal in early October, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has documented approximately 90 Palestinian fatalities and more than 300 injuries resulting from continuous Israeli assaults throughout the strip. At least 100 ceasefire violations have been reported as well.

This is while a delegation of Hamas officials, attending talks with Turkish officials in Qatar, has stated that the Palestinian group remains committed to the ceasefire deal despite Israel’s “repeated violations.”

The first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire was aimed at bringing an end to Israel’s assault, a partial withdrawal of its troops to a so-called yellow line along Gaza’s borders, and a modest increase in humanitarian aid.

Last Monday, as part of the deal Hamas released all living captives, as well as the remains of 12 of the 28 dead Israeli captives.

In return, Israel freed 2,000 Palestinian detainees and returned 15 Palestinian bodies for every one dead Israeli captive returned.

Since the onset of the Israeli genocidal war in October 2023, the occupying regime has killed at least 68,229 Palestinians — mostly women and children — and reduced Gaza to ruins, drawing global outrage and calls for accountability.

Experts warn that the true death toll could reach hundreds of thousands once the missing and those buried beneath the ruins are fully counted.

Press TV’s website

The Palestinian resistance movement Islamic Jihad has reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement with the Israeli regime in Gaza, while vowing not to lay down its arms.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Abu Hamza, the military spokesman of the al-Quds Brigades, the group’s armed wing, said the movement would continue to resist the Israeli occupation of “our land, even if it lasts for years.”

“We will not abandon our weapons,” Abu Hamza stressed the group's unwavering stance.

The spokesman emphasized that the movement maintains a strong relationship with other resistance factions.

“We are facing a pivotal and difficult stage and stand at a historic crossroads, where the people, the nation, and the resistance stand together, at one of the stations of Arab and Islamic struggle,” the statement added.

It noted that the Israeli war on Gaza, which ended earlier this month with a ceasefire after nearly two years, was not a reaction to the al-Aqsa Flood operation, “but rather reflects a premeditated intention for an extermination war with unlimited American support.”

Abu Hamza asserted that the October 7, 2023, operation “was imposed on us and came as a response to the endless crimes” of Israel, including the occupation of al-Quds and the West Bank, its attacks and siege of Gaza, as well as the human rights violations committed against Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

“The [Israeli] occupation’s ‘army’ lacks humanity and values; it is a racist thug army.”

The statement honored the resistance fighters who lost their lives during the war, including the former spokesman of al-Quds Brigades, Naji Maher Abu Saif.

Islamic Jihad also commended the support provided to Palestine by “a faithful group in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran” during the war.

Israel's two-year-long genocidal war on Gaza killed nearly 68,300 Palestinians and left 170,373 people injured.

The truce represents the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, with subsequent stages expected to be negotiated at a later date.

The Israeli regime has since killed dozens of Palestinians in attacks across Gaza in violation of the ceasefire. 

Press TV’s website

The Israeli occupation army has seized about 17 acres of Palestinian land in the northern occupied West Bank, despite growing international condemnation of its ongoing land-grab policies.

According to a statement published on Sunday on the website of the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC), the confiscated 70,000-square-meter area is located across several villages in the Nablus governorate.

“The Israeli occupation authorities have taken control of 17 acres and 147 square meters of land through a military order, affecting areas in the villages of Qaryut, Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya and Al-Sawiya in Nablus Governorate,” read the statement.

The move is aimed at establishing a buffer zone around the Eli settlement in the area, CWRC said. 

The Commission highlighted that “the Israeli authorities published the military order after the objection period had already expired.”

The military order permits objections within one week of issuance; however, the order is dated September 21, 2025.

Since the beginning of 2025, Israeli authorities have issued 53 military land seizure orders for various military purposes, the Commission further noted.

The Commission reported that Israeli authorities had seized thousands of square meters of Palestinian land and established 25 buffer zones around settlements over the past two years.

The development comes as Israeli hawkish finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has vowed an “escalation” of land expropriation in the occupied West Bank.  

Last month, Smotrich announced plans to annex more than 80 percent of the occupied West Bank in a bid to block the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Smotrich, back then, called the West Bank annexation “a preventative step” against moves by many countries to recognize Palestinian statehood.

He has been one of the spearheads of Israel’s plans for settlement expansion and the annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Israel recently approved a major settlement project, called E1, which aims to split the occupied West Bank into two parts, cutting off the northern cities of Ramallah and Nablus from Bethlehem and al-Khalil in the south and isolating East al-Quds.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law.

Earlier this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that the Israeli policy of expanding and consolidating settlements across the occupied West Bank amounts to “a war crime.”

The UN rights chief said Israel must evacuate all settlers from the occupied West Bank and make reparations for decades of illegal settlement.

Turk urged the international community to take meaningful action against the occupying entity.

In an advisory opinion last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds.

The United States is the Israeli regime’s main international backer, granting the Zionist leaders laissez-faire to commit atrocities with impunity, including the genocide of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, their forced displacement, child-killing, and occupation and annexation of Palestinian land.

Press TV’s website

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has sharply rebuked US President Donald Trump for his recent comments boasting about bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying the American president has no authority to dictate what other countries can or cannot do.

“Fine, keep dreaming,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in reference to the US president’s boastful claim that he had destroyed Iran’s nuclear industry. “But who do you think you are to make any prescriptions about whether a country can or cannot have a nuclear industry?”

The Leader made the remarks during a Monday meeting with hundreds of Iranian athletes and medalists from various sports and international scientific Olympiads, whom he described as “symbols of national power and growth.”

He said the young achievers had shown that Iran’s hopeful youth “have the strength to stand on the peaks and draw the world’s attention to the bright horizon of Iran.”

Ayatollah Khamenei also condemned the bullying and baseless rhetoric of the US president, saying his recent behavior aimed to “raise the spirit of the Zionists and make himself look powerful through lies about Iran, the region, and its people.”

He hastened to add, “If he is truly powerful, let him calm the millions of people in all US states who are chanting against him.”

Expressing joy at meeting the country’s accomplished youth, the Leader said their victories carry extra value today because they come at a time when “the enemy, through psychological warfare, seeks to make the nation hopeless and forgetful of its own abilities.”

He dismissed claims about despair among Iranian youth as unfounded, stressing that “our dear Iran and its youth are symbols of hope” and that with determination and effort, young Iranians “can and will reach the highest peaks.”

The Leader said that during the 1980s’ Iraqi-imposed war, Iran achieved victory against a highly-equipped enemy, which was supported by all sides, through military ingenuity displayed by the nation’s youth.

He also noted that in June’s illegal aggression against the Islamic Republic, Iran delivered an “unbelievable” slap in the face of the Zionists and drove them to despair.

“The Zionists did not expect that Iranian missiles, with their flames and fire, could penetrate deep into their sensitive and vital centers, destroy them, and turn them into ashes,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

He further emphasized that Iran did not buy or rent its missiles from anywhere, but manufactured them by its youth.

“These missiles were prepared and used by our armed forces and military industries, and they still have them. If necessary, they will use them again at another time,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Leader referred to Trump’s acknowledgment of the United States’ role in Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, saying Washington is the main partner in the Zionist regime’s crimes, as the weapons dropped on the defenseless people of Gaza during the war were supplied by America.

Additionally, Ayatollah Khamenei rejected as a lie Trump’s claim about the US’s fight against terrorism.

“More than 20,000 children and infants were martyred in the Gaza war. Were they terrorists? The real terrorist is the US, which created Daesh, unleashed it on the region, and even today holds some of its members in a certain area for its own use.”

He also denounced the killing of around 70,000 Palestinians in the Gaza genocide and over 1,000 Iranians during the 12-day Israeli-US aggression as clear evidence of the terrorist nature of the United States and the occupying regime.

Trump described himself as a dealmaker, but if dealmaking is accompanied by coercion, it is called imposition and bullying, something that the Iranian nation will not submit to, Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

He further stressed that West Asia belongs to its own people and that war and death in the region are the result of the US presence.

“The US is a warmonger that fuels terrorism and ignites wars. Otherwise, what is the purpose of all these US military bases in the region? What are you doing here? What connection does this region have to you?”

Press TV’s website

Oxford University, long renowned as a pinnacle of global education, is under intense scrutiny after revelations that it holds indirect investments in at least 49 companies linked to illegal Israeli activity in occupied Palestinian territories.

The holdings, worth over £19 million ($25.5 million), are a fraction of the university’s £8 billion endowment, but campaigners argue the implications are far greater, The Middle East Eye (MEE) news and analysis website reported.

The analysis published on Thursday showed that Oxford’s investments, made through a passive equity tracker fund co-developed with BlackRock, an American investment company, in 2020, include major Israeli banks, travel companies like Expedia, Booking.com, and Airbnb, and US technology firms such as Motorola Solutions.

Many of these companies are listed in United Nations and human rights reports for facilitating the Israeli regime’s illegal settlements.

The Oxford BDS Coalition, a campus group of students and staff, slammed the university’s investments, saying, "It is completely unacceptable for the University of Oxford to be involved in illegal activities of any kind. Even more so for the university to profit from an illegal occupation that has been linked to egregious human rights abuses, including genocide, the most abhorrent of all crimes.”

"The university has been made aware of these links on numerous occasions, so we have to assume that they are knowingly and willingly complicit in these crimes against humanity."

The coalition is demanding full transparency of Oxford’s investment holdings and immediate divestment from all companies implicated in human rights violations in Palestine.

Hundreds of university members, including senior academics, have pledged to uphold the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement’s principles, further intensifying calls for action.

Oxford’s use of an index tracker, a tool designed to spread investments across many firms, was meant to screen out companies involved in fossil fuels and controversial weapons.

Yet it does not exclude firms flagged for violating Palestinian human rights or those on the BDS divestment list, raising questions about the university’s ethical investment policies.

Experts argue that Oxford, as the wealthiest UK university, is uniquely positioned to lead change across higher education.

Saqib Bhatti, executive director of the US-based Action Center on Race and the Economy, said, “If the biggest universities like Oxford were to band together and play a leadership role with other universities in the world with large endowments to say we need to make sure that our investments are mission-aligned and we need to make sure that asset managers are offering mission-aligned options for all universities, they could make that happen.”

The scrutiny comes as the regime faces mounting international condemnation over its atrocities in Gaza, described by UN investigators as part of a genocidal campaign.

Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund and the Netherlands’ ABP pension fund have already divested from several Israeli companies, including some held in Oxford’s BlackRock fund, citing human rights abuses.

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese called out global asset managers, warning that continued investment in companies sustaining Israeli occupation implicates institutions, pension funds, and ordinary investors in ongoing crimes.

Pro-Palestinian activism on UK campuses has surged in recent years, with universities such as Queen’s University Belfast, King’s College Cambridge, and Swansea taking steps to divest from firms complicit in occupation.

Activists insist Oxford must follow suit.

Bhatti emphasized the moral responsibility of educational institutions, saying, “They’ve destroyed every university in Gaza. They are destroying centuries of scholarship and cultural sites.”

“You don’t exist to make money. You exist for a mission: To provide education.”

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