Iran releases German-Iranian citizen from prison with ankle tag

A German-Iranian citizen arrested in Iran in 2020 has been granted a temporary release, on the condition she wear an electronic ankle monitor, according to her daughter.

“I am pleased to announce that my mother Nahid Taghavi was this morning released temporarily on furlough. Unfortunately, Nahid has to wear an electronic ankle tag during the furlough,” Taghavi’s daughter Mariam Claren wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

Taghavi, now in her late sixties, was detained in Tehran on October 16, 2020, “solely for peacefully exercising (her) human rights,” according to the human rights organization Amnesty International statement in 2021.

In August 2021, Iran’s Revolutionary Court convicted Taghavi of national security-related charges which she denied, and she was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison, Amnesty said.

Her lawyer Mostafa Nili said she had been sentenced alongside a British-Iranian citizen, Mehran Raouf, on charges related to “participating in managing an illegal group” and “propaganda against the regime.”

Human Rights Watch has previously accused Iranian authorities of targeting foreign and dual nationals with vague charges in an attempt to gain leverage over other countries.

Taghavi’s release from Tehran’s Evin prison comes amid concerns over her health. Amnesty has warned Taghavi was at increased risk of severe illness or death if she were to contract Covid as she has diabetes and high blood pressure.

Her fellow prisoner at Evin, the Nobel Peace Prize winning Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, warned on Instagram in June that Taghavi’s life was in danger.

Following Taghavi’s release, Claren posted a photograph of her mother sitting on a yellow sofa with a gentle smile.

The photo also shows Taghavi wearing an electronic monitor on her ankle.

“Nahid’s movement will be restricted to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) from her apartment in Tehran. This makes her release more comparable to house arrest,” Claren wrote, adding, “However, we hope this furlough is an important first step for her unconditional release.”

Germany’s senior diplomat Ambassador Christian Buck on Tuesday welcomed Taghavi’s release, which he said was on medical grounds.

“This is an important first step. We continue to work tirelessly to ensure that Nahid Taghavi is reunited with her family,” he posted on X.