Women’s rights activist returns to Germany after over four years in Iranian custody News
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Women’s rights activist returns to Germany after over four years in Iranian custody

German-Iranian women’s rights activist Nahid Taghavi returned to Germany after being held in arbitrary detention in Iran for more than four years. Her release, announced by her family and Amnesty International on Monday, marks the end of a prolonged and unjust ordeal for the 69-year-old activist.

Amnesty International, who campaigned for Taghavi’s release, welcomed the news. Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany, stated, “Nahid Taghavi was imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression. She should never have been detained.”

Her daughter, Mariam Claren, expressed mixed emotions upon her mother’s return:

My mother has finally come home. We are beyond happy, but we are also grieving the four years stolen from us and the horrors she endured in prison. Hundreds like my mother remain imprisoned in Iran, with many at risk of execution. The Iranian authorities must no longer enjoy impunity for their actions.

Taghavi was arrested in Tehran in October 2020 on charges of “belonging to an illegal group” and “propaganda against the state.” Following what Amnesty referred to as a ‘grossly unfair trial’, she was sentenced to over a decade in prison. During her detention at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, Taghavi endured harsh conditions, including over seven months in solitary confinement. Deprived of necessities and subjected to inhumane treatment, her health deteriorated significantly.

Taghavi was arrested alongside UK-Iranian workers’ rights activist Mehran Raoof, who remains imprisoned under similar charges. Raoof, like Taghavi, has reportedly been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. Amnesty continues to campaign for his unconditional release.

In recent years, Iran has faced widespread criticism for its practice of detaining dual nationals and Western nationals as political bargaining chips. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned this tactic as a blatant violation of international law and human rights standards.

Tehran police authorities detained Italian journalist Cecilia Sala on December 19 for “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic,” although specific details regarding the nature of these violations were not disclosed. Sala was released this month following extensive diplomatic efforts.

The release of Nahid Taghavi comes as a bittersweet victory for her family and human rights advocates, shedding light on the ongoing plight of countless prisoners of conscience in Iran. Activists continue to call for accountability and the immediate release of those unjustly imprisoned.

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