LONDON: The wife of an Iranian-Canadian environmental activist who died in prison in Tehran last month was barred from leaving Iran, one of her sons said, in an unexplained move that drew an angry response from Canada.
Raam Emami said in an email to journalists that security forces had not allowed his mother Maryam Mombeini to get on a plane to Vancouver with him and his brother on Wednesday night.
Mombeini is the widow of Kavous Seyed-Emami, an environmental activist and sociology professor who was arrested on Jan. 24 and died in prison. Iran’s judiciary said Seyed-Emami, 63, had committed suicide.
The family has called for independent probe into his death.
Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland, said in a message posted on Twitter that she was “outraged” to learn that Mombeini had been barred from leaving Iran.
“We demand that, as a Canadian, she be given the freedom to return home,” she added.
Iranian judiciary officials were not immediately available for comment.
Seyed-Emami was the managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, which seeks to protect Iran’s rare animals. Iran’s judiciary said he had set up the NGO as a cover to collect classified information on Iran’s missile program.
Raam Emami said the family decided to leave Iran after being constantly “harassed.”
“The government raided our home and seized all of our valuables (most importantly deeds to our homes), we can no longer stand this state of constant terror,” he said.
Raam Emami has previously said that the family was under pressure from authorities not to publicize the case of Seyed-Emami.
“The authorities told our lawyers to tell the brothers ‘to shut up or we’ll shut them up,’ Emami said, adding government agents had told him they were watching him.
Human rights activists have reported that at least six detainees have died in prison in the last two months in Iran. The judiciary has confirmed three deaths in custody but said all three had committed suicide.
Bilateral ties between Iran and Canada worsened in 2003 when an Iranian-Canadian photo journalist, Zahra Kazemi, died in Tehran’s Evin prison while in custody.
Canada cut all diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012.
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Wife of Iranian-Canadian who died in jail barred from leaving Iran: Son
Wife of Iranian-Canadian who died in jail barred from leaving Iran: Son
Fresh strikes hit Iran as Israel says war enters ‘next phase’
- Powerful explosions shattered the skies above Iran’s capital Tehran early Friday
- Strikes followed warnings from Israel and the US they were stepping up their attacks
TEHRAN: Fresh strikes rocked Iran on Friday as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war that has spiraled rapidly throughout the region and beyond.
Powerful explosions shattered the skies above Iran’s capital Tehran early Friday as Israel said it was striking “regime infrastructure” in the city.
Internet coverage is running at about one percent, according to monitor group Netblocks, limiting information about the impact of the war on ordinary Iranians.
In Tehran, the war has emptied the usually traffic-jammed streets but residents said that security forces are keeping a tight grip on the population.
The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “has closed almost every main street with armed personnel and heavy machine guns to frighten people,” a 30-year-old Tehran resident said from Paris.
“The people are the real enemy in their eyes, not the Americans. Their extremists say first you have to deal with the enemy at home.”
Friday morning’s strikes on Tehran followed warnings from Israel and the US they were stepping up their attacks, first launched on Saturday in a barrage that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We are now moving to the next phase of the operation,” Israel’s military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a televised statement.
“We have additional surprises ahead which I do not intend to disclose,” he added.
Iran launched new retaliatory attacks early Friday against neighboring countries that host US forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
It also launched a new wave of missiles and drones targeting Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday morning, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
The latest strikes mark a full week of attacks affecting countries across the Middle East.
Powerful explosions shattered the skies above Iran’s capital Tehran early Friday as Israel said it was striking “regime infrastructure” in the city.
Internet coverage is running at about one percent, according to monitor group Netblocks, limiting information about the impact of the war on ordinary Iranians.
In Tehran, the war has emptied the usually traffic-jammed streets but residents said that security forces are keeping a tight grip on the population.
The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “has closed almost every main street with armed personnel and heavy machine guns to frighten people,” a 30-year-old Tehran resident said from Paris.
“The people are the real enemy in their eyes, not the Americans. Their extremists say first you have to deal with the enemy at home.”
Friday morning’s strikes on Tehran followed warnings from Israel and the US they were stepping up their attacks, first launched on Saturday in a barrage that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We are now moving to the next phase of the operation,” Israel’s military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a televised statement.
“We have additional surprises ahead which I do not intend to disclose,” he added.
Iran launched new retaliatory attacks early Friday against neighboring countries that host US forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
It also launched a new wave of missiles and drones targeting Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday morning, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
The latest strikes mark a full week of attacks affecting countries across the Middle East.
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