Iran has released on bail a woman activist jailed last year on charges of waging war against God. Shiva Nazar Ahari was arrested in December 2009 when travelling to Iran's holy Shi'a city of Qom, to attend the funeral of top cleric Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri.
Acccording to Iran's national media Ahari was released from Evin prison on $500,000 bail on Sunday, 12th September. Ahari's lawyer Mohammad Sharifi said his client was charged for having ties to the Mujahideen Khalq Organisation (MKO), an exiled opposition group listed as a terrorist sect by the US.
Ahari's innocence has been vehemently defended by Iranian opposition website Kaleme and international activists. Shiva Nazar Ahari spent more than a 100 days in solitary confinement since her arrest, and has continued to deny links with MKO.
"Nazar Ahari has rejected having any links with the group," confirmed the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR), of which she is a member.
Source: Reuters
For more news and expert analysis about Iran, please see Iran Strategic Focus.
No comments:
Post a Comment