Iran releases Maryam Mombeini, widow of Iranian-Canadian Kavous Seyed Emami, who died in Tehran prison
- Maryam Mombeini back in Canada after being held for 18 months
- Iranian authorities say her husband, Kavous Seyed Emami, killed himself after being arrested for spying, but family disputes this
The widow of an Iranian-Canadian academic and environmentalist who died in prison in Tehran, has returned to Canada after being held for 18 months, officials said on Friday.
Maryam Mombeini is the widow of Kavous Seyed Emami, who died in prison in February 2018 less than a month after his arrest.
Seyed Emami, 63, was accused of spying for Israel and the United States. Iranian authorities said he died by suicide in his cell, but this has been disputed by the family.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted that she was relieved that Mombeini was back home.
“You have all shown tremendous bravery in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I am thinking of you today!” she wrote.
Mombeini, who had been prevented from leaving Iran since March 2018, joined family in Vancouver on Thursday, her son Ramin said on Twitter.