French-Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkhah released from Evin prison First successful test burn of SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket

Authorities in Iran released French-Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkhah from prison on Friday. As AFP news agency learned from Adelkhah’s personal circle, the 62-year-old was released from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. Therefore, it was initially unclear whether the scientist could leave her home and return to France. “She is free, but we don’t know anything about her status,” said a relative.

The specialist in Shiite Islam and head of research at Sciences Po University in Paris was arrested in June 2019 along with her French colleague and partner Roland Marchal.

Marchal was released in March 2020 as part of a prisoner exchange. Adelkhah, on the other hand, was sentenced to five years in prison in May 2020 for “conspiracy against national security”. In October 2020, she was released from prison with an electronic ankle bracelet and has been under house arrest ever since.

Arrested again in January

In January, her supporters then reported that Adelkhah had been arrested again, which was also “surprised” by the French foreign ministry. Paris called for her immediate release, saying: “The decision can only negatively affect relations between France and Iran and weaken trust between our two countries.”

Recently, Adelkhah, along with other women held in Evin Prison, issued a joint statement condemning the use of the death penalty against protesters in the country. They themselves were “sentenced to a total of 124 years in prison for unfair and opaque procedures,” the women wrote in the text written at the end of January.

Amini’s death sparked protests

The anti-government protests in Iran were prompted by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on September 16 after she was arrested by vice police for violating strict Islamic dress codes.

Since then, authorities have arrested thousands of people. Women still detained include award-winning human rights activist Narges Mohammadi and journalists Nilufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who helped bring the Amini case to light. (sda/apa/afp)