Issued on: 26/02/2026 - 16:54Modified: 26/02/2026 - 16:57

A French court on Thursday (February 26) sentenced Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari to prison for justifying terrorism in a case linked to a possible prisoner swap with two French citizens held in Iran. Observers see her as a potential bargaining chip in negotiations with Tehran for the release of Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who are still waiting to leave Iran.

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