An Iranian court has sentenced a French-Iranian academic to six years in prison on security charges, her lawyer said.
The lawyer for Fariba Adelkhah said on May 16 that his client was sentenced to five years for "colluding to commit acts against national security" and one year for "propaganda against the system."
Her lawyer, Said Dehghan, said they would appeal the ruling.
France condemned the sentencing and demanded Adelkhah's immediate release.
"This sentencing is not based on any serious element or fact and is thus a political decision," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on May 16. "We are urging Iranian authorities to immediately release Mrs Adelkhah."
Adelkhah and her French colleague and partner, Roland Marchal, were arrested together in June 2019.
Marchal, who was accused of "colluding to commit acts against national security," was allowed to return home to France in March after being released in a prisoner swap between Paris and Tehran.
In January, Iran dropped spying charges against 61-year-old Adelkhah but she remained in Tehran’s Evin prison on other security-related charges.
Adelkhah is a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris and an expert on Iran and Shi'ite Islam.
Iran, which does not recognize dual citizenship, had repeatedly rejected calls from Paris to release Adelkhah.
Adelkhah has been weakened by a 49-day hunger strike between late December and February, her lawyer said.
The country has arrested dozens of dual nationals in recent years on alleged espionage charges.
Iranian authorities have not provided any solid evidence to back their claims.
Marchal is not the only foreign national to have been freed by Iran in a prisoner swap in recent months.
In February, Iran released an unidentified German national in exchange for Iranian Ahmad Khalili, who was in custody for circumventing U.S. sanctions.
In December, Tehran freed U.S. academic Xiyue Wang in exchange for scientist Massud Soleimani.
Iran has said it is open to further prisoner swaps.
Iranian-French Academic Sentenced To Six Years In Prison In Iran
Iranian-French academic Fariba Adelkhah (file photo)