Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Iranian citizen who was held in France returns: state TV
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleIranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari, who was held in France for over a year, has returned home, Iranian state television reports, a week after Iran released two French citizens.
“Mahdieh Esfandiari, a Palestinian rights activist, has returned to Iran after her release from prison in France,” state television says.
Esfandiari’s release came a week after French citizens Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who spent more than three years in Iranian prisons on espionage charges, arrived in France.
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
The Times of Israel Community.
JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY
Already a member? Log in here