Iranian female athletes call for an end to inhumane detention of Mahdieh Esfandiari

Pars Today – 165 Iranian female athletes and Olympians have, in an open letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, called for the release and an end to the illegal and inhumane detention of Mahdieh Esfandiari.

Following the arrest of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian woman residing in France, by French police on charges of supporting the people of Gaza, 165 Iranian female athletes, in an open letter to António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, demanded an end to the illegal and inhumane detention of this Iranian woman. The letter states:

Mr. António Guterres, Honorable Secretary-General of the United Nations

We, a group of female athletes, express our deep concern regarding the illegal detention of Ms. Mahdieh Esfandiari, a citizen of the Islamic Republic of Iran, by French authorities since February 28, 2025, during which she has been held in solitary confinement with severe physical restrictions and deprived of access to medical services. We hereby state:

In this modern era, where humanity has reached the quantum frontiers of thought and technology, freedom of expression should not be sacrificed to the lobbying of those whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent children.

Ms. Mahdieh Esfandiari is a product of a civilization that centuries ago delivered the timeless message, “Human beings are members of a whole”, a message that today shines above the entrance of the United Nations and reminds the world of the very purpose of this institution. She is the heir to this human legacy and, with her voice, cried out not in the name of politics but in the name of humanity: “Genocide is the shame of humanity, and the killing of children is a disgrace in history.”

 Esfandiari spoke the truth without concealment; yet the imposed silence upon her is a symbol of a deep wound inflicted upon freedom of expression. Suppressing the voice of truth is not only an injustice against one individual but also a betrayal of the values that the United Nations and the global community claim to uphold.

Mr. Secretary-General, remaining silent in the face of this situation and allowing her six-month detention by France to continue amounts to complicity with injustice and lends legitimacy to blatant deceit. History will record such collusion with precision. The international community must remain vigilant, for the recognition of Palestine is meaningful and genuine only when accompanied by sincere action and steadfastness against oppression and injustice—not by restricting freedom of thought and expression.

Sports have taught us to strive for fairness, justice, and mutual respect. These values are not confined to sports arenas; they must also serve as a foundation in human and social spheres. We strongly condemn double standards in the field of human rights and call upon all international organizations, human rights bodies, sports associations, and advocates of freedom worldwide to join us in this effort.

Today, the world needs a united voice against oppression and discrimination more than ever. We demand immediate action for the unconditional release of Mahdieh Esfandiari—an action that supports not only a courageous individual but also upholds the universal values of human rights and humanity.

The signatories of the open letter to the UN Secretary-General are as follows:
Sareh Javanmardi, Zahra Nemati, Reyhaneh Mobini, Minoo Maddah, Mahrooz Saei, Mobina Nematzadeh, Nahid Kiani, Melika Mirhosseini, Meshkat al-Zahra Safi, Yasaman Yazdani, Neda Shahsavari, Najmeh Khedmati, Elaheh Ahmadi, Hanieh Rostamian, Golnoosh Sebghatollahi, Mobina Fallah, Gisa Baybordi, Maryam Barbatt, Samira Khakkhah, Faranak Partowazar, Fatemeh Hemmatizadeh, Nazanin Eidiyan, Hamideh Esmaeilnejad, Melika Norouzi, Zahra Arab Rostami, Elham Hashemi, Mahla Mahrooqi, Hanieh Shahoori, Samseh Shahoori, Fatemeh Mojallal, Mahsa Javor, Zeynab Norouzi, Zahra Alizadeh Saveh, Athena Kiashmeshki, Samaneh Birami Baher, Azam al-Sadat Sanaei, Elham Modir Dehghan, Asal Heidari, Fatemeh Esmaeili, Arzu Izadi, Romina Salek, Taraneh Ahmadi, Fereshteh Eghtedari, Sahel Khorasanzadeh, Ailar Donyadoost, Fereshteh Hassanzadeh, Fatemeh Hosseini Kahki, Fatemeh Momeni, Zahra Shokoohi, Roghayyeh Mohammadian, Mahya Amirkhani Dehbaneh, Asal Zafaranlou, Dina Klavandi, Mastaneh Seyf Abadi, Mobina Ali Nasab, Anahita Zahedifar, Farzaneh Tavasoli, Fereshteh Karimi, Nasimeh Gholami, Sara Shirbigi, Shahla Behroozi-Rad, Hiwa Afzali, Hediyeh Kheirabadi, Maedeh Shorgashti, Tania Kargarpour, Ternam Akbarzadeh, Kiana Kamalzadeh, Roxana Razaghian, Anahita Mahtarpour, Atousa Eslami, Hajar Safarzadeh, Sara Adria, Mahla Samiei, Mozhdeh Mardani, Maryam Khodabandeh, Zahra Haji Lari, Mina Rastaqi, Mobina Adelnejad, Elaheh Razaghi, Kijan Maghsoudi, Sayed Zahra Hosseini, Ghazaleh Hosseini, Ghazal Hosseini, Reyhaneh Karimi, Elaheh Mansourian, Sohila Mansourian, Shahrebanoo Mansourian, Yasaman Bagherzadeh, Zahra Kiani, Fatemeh Khalili, Mobina Vatanparast, Hadiseh Norouzi, Elnaz Ghasemi, Fatemeh Marikh, Nastaran Farahani Goodarzi, Elnaz Yarmohammadi, Hanieh Karimi, Fa’ezeh Shahriari, Edna Eisaian, Kimia Yazdian Tehrani, Sheida Shojaei, Mahla Abedi, Farnaz Khodamoradi, Mahsa Karani, Ghazal Zamani, Delaram Vakili, Hadis Nasr Azadani, Fa’ezeh Sadat Abedini Nejad, Shokouh Tayareh Khajavi, Setayesh Rajabi, Elaheh Pourabdian, Fatemeh Jalilian, Mahdieh Shabani, Melika Boroon, Setayesh Pirnajm al-Din, Shiva Lakzaei, Sara Bahmanyar, Atousa Golshad Nejad, Pegah Zangeneh, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Farahnaz Arbab, Maedeh Shams Ebrahimabadi, Zeynab Milayi, Zahra Zare’, Maedeh Rangrazzadeh, Afsaneh Hesami Fard, Kijan Rostami, Fa’ezeh Ashourpour, Masoumeh Ghadami, Laya Afzouni, Maryam Ghazi Rad, Hasti Vahedi, Mobina Karimi, Aytek Salamat, Nasrin Shahi, Zahra Gholamzadeh, Fa’ezeh Ahmadi, Roghayyeh Shojaei, Parasto Habibi, Elham Salehi, Hashemieh Mottaghian, Zeynab Moradi, Leila Kabakzan, Elnaz Darabian, Hanan Ka’b Amir, Fa’ezeh Dibayi, Athena Mohammadiha, Batoul Jahangiri, Vajiheh Houshmand, Fereshteh Moradi, Fatemeh Haji Siyari, Farzaneh Jamshidi Nejad, Othreh Akhavin, Zahra Namazi, Fatemeh Hemmati, Somayeh Rahimi, Farzaneh Asgari, Maryam Yavarpour, Mahdieh Mohammadian, Zahra Aghaei, Nikoo Rouzbehani, Helia Haji Abadi, Fatemeh Yousefi, and Sayed Leila Mousavi.