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“Mr Tahbaz was released on bail and with an electronic bracelet,” Hojat Kermani, Mr Tahbaz’s lawyer, was quoted as saying by the semi-official ILNA news agency on Wednesday. Mr Tahbaz and seven other conservationists were accused by Iranian authorities of collecting classified information about Iran’s strategic areas under the pretext of carrying out environmental and scientific projects. Mr Tahbaz, who was born in London and also holds a US passport, has always denied the charges.
In March, Foreign Secretary Lizz Truss said the UK Government had secured Mr Tahbaz’s furlough, along with the release and return of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori. However, two days after the release of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori, Mr Tahbaz was returned to prison.
Speaking about Mr Tahbaz’s case in the Commons on March 16, Ms Truss said: “It is a very very difficult situation. Morad Tahbaz is a tri-national. We pushed very hard to get Morad out of prison.
“I have been in touch today and he is now back in his house, with security in place, but with his family.”
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She added: “We will continue to work to get him back and work with the United States to make that happen.”
Only 48 hours later, Mr Tahbaz was returned to Evin prison in the Iranian capital.
A distressed member of the Tahbaz family said “an armed guard was present in the family home, and the visit was first for 10 hours and then extended to 24 hours and finally to 48 hours”.
The family member said “the furlough negotiated by the UK Government with the Iranians was just a cover so the UK could free the other two British-Iranians, and then enjoy a victory lap”.
They added: “It was never a proper furlough, but a short family visit.”
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