Iranian-British woman jailed for going to volleyball match pardoned
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 2 April 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iranian-British woman jailed for going to volleyball match pardoned, 2 April 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/552f9dc332.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
April 02, 2015
Ghoncheh Ghavami
An Iranian-British woman jailed in Tehran last year for taking part in a protest against a ban on women's attendance at sports stadiums alongside men has been pardoned.
A British Foreign Office spokeswoman on April 2 welcomed news that Ghoncheh Ghavami was pardoned while expressing concern that "she is still subject to a travel ban."
Ghavami's brother, Iman Ghavami, told The Guardian that "the court of appeal has waived the remaining seven months of her sentence and she will not have to go back to jail."
Ghavami, 26, was detained in June and later jailed after trying to attend a men's volleyball match in Tehran.
A Tehran court sentenced her to one year in prison in November for spreading antistate propaganda, but she was later freed on bail pending the decision by the appeals' court.
She spent 151 days in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, including more than a month in solitary confinement.
Based on reporting by Reuters and The Guardian
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
