Khamenei ally urges arrest of French visitors who refuse to condemn Israel

Hossein Shariatmadari, the representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in the hardline daily Kayhan, has called on authorities to question French nationals visiting Iran about their stance on Israel, and to detain those who refuse to condemn it.

The suggestion follows the continued detention of Mahdieh Esfandiari, a 39-year-old Iranian translator living in Lyon who has been detained since early March for supporting Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel in Telegram posts.

Shariatmadari framed the arrest as politically motivated and urged a reciprocal response.

"If religious principles do not permit imprisoning them, at the very least, arrest them and then expel them from the country," he said.

In addition to Esfandiari, France has arrested a dual Iranian-French national, Shahin Hazamy, on charge of “apologie du terrorisme,” a criminal charge under French law covering praise of terrorist acts.

The Iranian Judiciary's official news agency Mizan described him as an independent journalist and said the arrest stemmed from his support for Palestine, without citing French legal charges.

Posts on Hazamy’s Instagram account show support for Hezbollah and Palestinian factions backed by Tehran, as well as images taken during recent visits to Lebanon.

Iran’s foreign ministry has criticized both arrests, demanding explanations and consular access. Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in April that the detentions raised serious concerns over the rights of Iranian nationals in France.

France, meanwhile, says Iran detains French citizens as leverage in diplomatic disputes. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot urged French nationals not to travel to Iran, citing the risk of arbitrary arrest.

In January the European Parliament adopted a motion for a resolution condemning Iran’s detention of European Union citizens, labelling the practice as “hostage diplomacy" accusing Iran of using the prisoners for political ends.