CNN
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An Iranian physician and human rights activist has been launched from Tehran’s notorious Evin jail every week after images of his severely emaciated situation surfaced on social media.
Farhad Meysami was launched from jail on Friday, in response to Iran’s pro-reform outlet Shargh Day by day. Information of his launch got here as France introduced that French-Iranian tutorial Fariba Adelkhah had additionally been launched from Evin.
Meysami was jailed in 2018 after talking out in help of girls protesting the obligatory hijab legislation. He was accused of “gathering and collusion to threaten nationwide safety” and “propaganda towards the regime.” in response to an Iran-focused group, Human Rights Activists (HRANA).
Photographs displaying his frail physique, bulging bones and shaved head precipitated outrage on social media after they surfaced final week. Earlier than the images surfaced, a human rights lawyer claiming to signify Meysami mentioned his weight had dropped to 52 kilograms (115 lb) and that he had been “crushed by his resistance” to being transferred to a different jail.
The textual content of a letter allegedly written by Meysami and offered to CNN by the lawyer, Mohammad Moghimi, confirmed that Meysami had gone on starvation strike to protest the execution of prisoners, name for the discharge of a number of protesters and demand an finish to the execution. of the obligatory hijab legislation. CNN was unable to confirm the authenticity of the letter.
After photos of Meysami circulated on-line, state-affiliated media final Friday denied that the activist was on a starvation strike, saying he was in “good situation.”
The information of the discharge of Meysami and Adelkhah comes after from iran Supreme Chief Ayatollah Khamenei issued an amnesty masking numerous prisoners on Sunday.
The amnesty included some individuals who had been arrested in latest anti-government protests which have swept the nation since final fall, in response to HRANA.
Nationwide dissent erupted late final 12 months, when a long time of bitterness over the regime’s therapy of girls and different points boiled over after the loss of life of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini whereas in ethical police custody. from the nation.
Authorities have violently cracked down on the months-long motion, which has posed one of many greatest inner threats to Iran’s ruling clerical regime in additional than a decade.
CNN has reached out to the Iranian authorities for touch upon Meysami’s launch.
For many years, Evin jail within the Iranian capital Tehran has housed political prisoners and twin nationals whom Iran refuses to formally acknowledge.
Meysami’s launch got here because the French Overseas Ministry introduced that French-Iranian tutorial Fariba Adelkhah had additionally been launched from Evin.
The ministry mentioned in a press release on Friday that “France rejoices on the launch tonight of Madame Fariba Adelkhah, a researcher on the Middle for Worldwide Analysis at Sciences Po, who was wrongfully detained in Iran in Evin jail.”
He added that it was “important” that Adelkhah have the ability to regain all her freedoms “together with (being allowed) to return to France if she needs.”
Adelkhah was arrested in Iran on June 5, 2019, in response to the official Sciences Po web site, alongside along with her colleague and fellow researcher, Roland Marchal.
Adelkhah was charged with “propaganda towards the political system of the Islamic Republic” and “collusion to undermine nationwide safety.”
Whereas Marchal was launched on March 20, 2020, Adelkhah served a five-year jail sentence on Could 16, 2020.
French Overseas Minister Catherine Colonna known as Adelkhah’s launch a “nice pleasure” in a tweet late Friday.
The director of the French college Sciences Po, Mathias Vicherat, additionally responded in a tweet: “What a pleasure, what a aid to study of the affirmation of the discharge of our pal, our colleague, Fariba Adelkhah.”
France reiterated its demand for the “speedy launch” of all Frenchmen arbitrarily detained in Iran, and the international minister demanded that her Iranian counterpart instantly launch seven French “hostages.”
A ministry spokesman mentioned it’s “extraordinarily involved” in regards to the well being of French nationwide Benjamin Brière and French-Irish nationwide Bernard Phelan particularly.
“It’s clear that this state hostage coverage carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran is reprehensible and can’t however contribute to a deep degradation of our bilateral relations in addition to Iran’s relations with Europe,” the spokesman mentioned on Thursday.
