In an official statement delivered at the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasized the need for the international community to support human rights defenders — particularly women and girls — who have dedicated their lives to the liberation of Palestine from occupation and oppression, specifically highlighting the case of Ms. Mahdieh Esfandiari.
The statement urgently called on the French government to release Ms. Esfandiari, who has been in arbitrary detention by French police for several months and subjected to torture.
Mahdieh Esfandiari, a 39-year-old Iranian citizen, has been held in pre-trial detention for the past four months at Fresnes Prison in the outskirts of Paris, allegedly due to her support for Palestine.
Iran’s delegation also urged the immediate involvement and support of international mechanisms active in the field of women’s and girls’ rights, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls and the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls, in Ms. Esfandiari’s case.
