Iranian Female Athletes Call for Release of Mahdieh Esfandiari

A group of 165 Iranian women athletes penned a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, urging urgent and unconditional action for the release of Mahdieh Esfandiari, who has been arbitrarily detained in France on baseless charges.

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چهارشنبه - ۱۱ آذر ۲۰۲۵ / 2025 11 September

The athletes condemned Esfandiari’s six-month detention as a blatant violation of basic human rights and freedom of expression, stressing that such treatment only serves the interests of those complicit in the Israeli regime’s war crimes against the oppressed people of Palestine.

They appealed to the international community, human rights organizations, and global sporting bodies to intervene immediately, warning that silence in the face of this injustice would amount to legitimizing oppression.

In their letter, the athletes underlined that Esfandiari’s voice was raised not in the realm of politics but in defense of humanity, declaring that genocide is a stain on history and the killing of innocent children is a disgrace to mankind. They described her as a representative of an ancient civilization that has long championed the principle that “all human beings are members of one body.”

“Mr. Secretary General, remaining silent in the face of her unjust detention means complicity in deceit and oppression,” the letter reads, emphasizing that her release would reaffirm universal human values.

The signatories stressed that Esfandiari’s case transcends the fate of one individual, as it is fundamentally about safeguarding the right to free expression. They added that the spirit of sport has taught them to stand for fairness, justice, and human dignity—principles that must guide action in the face of injustice.

Some notable signatories of the letter include:

Sareh Javanmardi; Paralympic shooting champion, multiple gold medalist

Zahra Nemati; Paralympic archery champion, flagbearer of Iran at Rio 2016 Olympics

Najmeh Khedmati; Shooting champion, Asian Games medalist

Neda Shahsavari; First Iranian woman in Olympic table tennis

Elaheh, Soheila, and Shahrbanoo Mansourian; Multiple world wushu champions

Samaneh Beyrami Baher; Olympic cross-country skier

Sara Bahmanyar; Karate world medalist, Asian champion

Pegah Zangeneh; Karate world medalist

Hamideh Esmaeilnejad; Para-athletics sprinter, world record holder

Farzaneh Tavasoli; National futsal team goalkeeper

Fereshteh Karimi; FIFA futsal awards nominee, Asian champion

Parastoo Habibi; National basketball player

Mahdieh Esfandiari was detained in France in February 2025 along with several others. The Iranian Embassy in Paris has remained in close contact with her and her legal representatives, with the most recent consular visit taking place on August 18.

A French court has recently rejected her request for conditional release, though her defense team is continuing efforts to secure her freedom.

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office alleged that Esfandiari is being prosecuted on charges of “glorifying terrorism” and offenses related to social media activity.

However, according to her family and Iranian officials, the accusations are unfounded. Esfandiari’s only activity was posting content in a Telegram channel condemning crimes committed by the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people.