[JURIST] Iranian-American journalist Parnaz Azima, a reporter for Radio Farda [media website, in Arabic], left Iran [JURIST news archive] Tuesday after months of being held in the country on security-related charges. A spokesperson for Radio Farda's parent service Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) [media website] told AP that Azima will soon arrive in the United States. Azima was granted permission to leave Iran [JURIST report] September 5, although the charges against her remain open [RFE/RL report]. Authorities reportedly returned Azima's passport to her on September 4.

Azima originally traveled to Iran in January to visit her sick mother and Iranian authorities confiscated her passport upon her arrival. Two other Iranian-Americans charged by Iran with endangering national security, Open Society Institute consultant Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh [OSI press release] and Ali Shakeri of the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding [advocacy website], still have not been released. Iranian-American scholar Haleh Esfandiari [JURIST news archive] left Iran earlier this month after being detained for over 100 days for her involvement in an alleged plot "against the sovereignty of the country." AP has more.