France Expels Iranian Citizen Who Praised Al-Aqsa Storm Resistance Fighters

PARIS — A French court on Thursday 27 February 2026 sentenced Iranian citizen Mahdia Esfandiari on charges of “glorifying terrorism” through social media posts.

The court imposed a four-year prison sentence, including one year in effective custody, with a permanent ban on entering France and an order to leave the country.

Esfandiari, 39, a student who had lived in Lyon since 2018, left the courtroom after being released following eight months in provisional detention.

Meanwhile, her lawyer, Nabil Boudie, announced his intention to appeal the verdict, which he described as harsh.

“If the court issued this severe ruling based on diplomatic considerations, then perhaps the court has made an error,” Boudie said after the hearing.

He added that he would appeal in hopes of obtaining a decision based on legal elements and facts.

When asked whether his client would remain in France during the appeal process, he responded: “We shall see; I don’t yet have a definite answer.”

The resistance axis

Esfandiari was arrested last year for internet posts praising the “Al-Aqsa Storm” operation launched by Palestinian resistance factions against settlements around Gaza on 7 October 2023.