Iranian-French Academic Temporarily Released

French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah, who has been detained in Iran since June 2019, has been temporarily released from prison and is currently in Tehran with her family, her lawyer has announced.

Saeed Dehghan tweeted that his client had been fitted with an electronic ankle bracelet to monitor her movements.

“Of course, like Roland Marchal, she must be released,” wrote Dehghan, calling for authorities to free her unconditionally and not just on a temporary basis. French researcher Roland Marchal was arrested in Iran in June 2019 along with Adelkhah, his colleague. He was released in March after nine months in detention as part of a prisoner exchange with France.“If judiciary officials came to the understanding that being furloughed is a ‘right’ not a ‘privilege’ many political prisoners and imprisoned civil activists would be on furlough in this critical coronavirus situation.”

Fariba Adelkhah, a social sciences researcher at the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), was in Iran conducting research when she was arrested by Revolutionary Guards’ Intelligence Organization agents. Since her arrest she had been refused a leave of absence despite the coronavirus outbreak, during which many other prisoners have been granted leave. In March, it was reported that she was in poor health following a 51-day hunger strike. According to her lawyer, she had developed kidney disease.

In May of this year, Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Adelkhah to five years in prison on the charge of  “gathering and conspiracy to act against national security" and one year on the charge of "propaganda against the regime." In June, the court of appeals upheld the sentence. According to Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, five of the six years of the sentence will be enforceable.

Fariba Adelkhah is the second dual national who has been given a leave of absence since the coronavirus outbreak. Iranian-British prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released temporarily in March. She has been fitted with an ankle bracelet and has not been allowed to go further than 300 meters from her parents’ home.

The Iranian authorities do not recognize dual nationality for Iranian citizens and they have not granted French diplomats consular access rights. Iran has slammed Paris' calls for Adelkhah's release as "interference" in the Islamic Republic's internal affairs.