Overview
- The four-day trial began Tuesday at the Paris criminal court, with the 39-year-old contesting charges of online apology and provocation of terrorism, racist insult, and association of malfaiteurs.
- Investigators link her to the Axe de la Résistance operation across Telegram, X, Twitch, YouTube, and Alain Soral’s site, with judges describing a central role alongside co-defendant Maurizio Buisson.
- Esfandiari was arrested on February 28, 2025 in Villeurbanne; a search found books published by Iran’s regime and more than €2,000 in cash, and she was later released under judicial supervision with a travel ban.
- Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said a swap for French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris was negotiated but remains contingent on legal procedures in both countries.
- Kohler and Paris remain confined to the French embassy in Tehran after long sentences and a conditional release in November 2025, and Esfandiari’s lawyer argues it is premature to discuss any exchange as the court could rule quickly or deliberate for weeks.