MP Andy Slaughter has said he will continue to campaign on behalf of a Shepherd’s Bush woman released from an Iranian jail until she can leave the country.
Ghoncheh Ghavami, who turns 26 today, was released on bail yesterday (November 23) because of health problems, according to her family, after being sentenced on November 2 following her initial detention in June.
She was found guilty of spreading anti-regime propaganda after taking part in a peaceful protest at a men’s volleyball match in the capital, Tehran where she is now staying with her parents as they await a decision by the Court of Appeal.
Iran banned women from watching men’s volleyball matches in 2012 to join a long-standing ban on women watching football games, arguing that women need protection from the lewd behaviour of male fans.
Her brother, Iman Ghavami, told the BBC their parents wanted a full medical check-up because Ms Ghavami had ‘intestinal problems’ and that her release ‘was quite unexpected but a welcome move’.
Mr Slaughter, Ms Ghavami’s MP in Shepherd’s Bush, has been working with the Ghavamis to secure her release from prison and welcomed the news.
He said: “It is excellent news that Ghoncheh has been released from prison apparently on bail, and a tribute to the campaign her family in Britain and Iran have run over the past five months. Support for her has come from around the world: Ghoncheh is a young woman of great courage.
“Though this is an important development we must continue the campaign until charges against her are dropped and she is free to travel outside Iran. With the family I will be meeting the Foreign Office Minister this week to discuss what more the UK Government can do for Ghoncheh, who is a British citizen.”
Iran’s Sharq newspaper said on its Twitter account (in Persian) that she was released after paying bail amounting to $38,000 (£24,000).
She has been on hunger strike a number of times in prison in protest of her detention.
Although she has dual British-Iranian nationality and studied law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), attempts by foreign secretary Philip Hammond to raise her case with his Iranian counterpart Mohammed Javed Zarif, at the United Nations appeared futile as Iran refuses to acknowledge her dual nationality.
Her family accepted their lawyer, Alizadeh Tabatabaee’s resignation last Monday (November 17) as Mr Ghavami said they realised the pressure of the case had impacted on him so are now looking for a new layer after the Iranian Attorney recognised some of the ‘serious misconducts committed in the case’.
Earlier this month London's Iranian community said Ms Ghavami's imprisonment is an 'attack on all Iranian women'.
