French authorities are set to announce their decision on the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian accused of advocating terrorism. Her arrest occurred in February 2025, and she has been suggested as a possible bargaining chip in ongoing negotiations with Iran for the release of two French individuals, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who are currently in a precarious situation at the French embassy in Tehran. During a hearing on January 16, prosecutors requested a four-year prison sentence, with three years suspended, and a permanent ban on her returning to France. Despite these demands, the prosecutor remarked that reincarceration was not necessary as Esfandiari had already spent eight months in pretrial detention.