Woman Returned to UK After Acquittal in Iran Spy Case

A woman sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran for spying for Britain has returned to the United Kingdom after her acquittal by Iran’s Supreme Court.

 

The British Council, a body for the promotion of British culture abroad, confirmed her return on Wednesday.

Iranian Aras Amiri was arrested in Iran in early 2018 while she was visiting her family. She then lived in London, where she worked for the British Council. Amiri is engaged in increasing knowledge about Iranian culture within the UK for that institution. The British Council is not active in Iran.

A judge had convicted Amiri for allegedly endangering Iranian national security and for collaborating with British intelligence. The woman previously tried to overturn her conviction but failed.

“We are very pleased to confirm that Aras Amiri, a British Council employee and Iranian citizen, has been acquitted by the Iranian Supreme Court of all charges against her,” the British Council said on Wednesday.

“She has been released and returned to the UK.” The institution “has consistently refuted the charges against her”.