British Council says Iranian employee Aras Amiri was freed by Iran

An Iranian employee of the British Council, Aras Amiri, who was imprisoned by Tehran on spying charges, has been freed and is now in the UK.

World

1 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

12 January, 2022

'She has been freed from detention and has returned to the United Kingdom,' said the British cultural organisation [source: Getty]

The British Council said an Iranian employee arrested in Tehran has been acquitted by a court and is now free and in the United Kingdom.

Aras Amiri was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2019 on widely criticized espionage charges.

The British Council said Wednesday that an appeal her lawyers made to Iran's Supreme Court had been successful.

Amiri worked for the council's London office.

“We have always refuted the original charges made against Aras,” the council said in a statement. “We are very proud of her work in our London office as an arts programme officer supporting a greater understanding and appreciation of Iranian culture in the UK.”

Iranian officials did not immediately acknowledge her release.