Paris, Aug 17 (DPA) A French national was released from a Tehran prison Sunday into the custody of the French embassy in Tehran for an unknown amount of bail, the French government confirmed Sunday evening.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy telephoned with the prisoner, Clotilde Reiss, who has been held for six weeks. He said she was in good health.
Reiss must remain in Iran until the process against her for criminal charges relating to post-election unrest last month is finished.
Sarkozy thanked the European Union and Syria for their support in mediating her release. The amount of bail was not known. Fars news agency reported last week that the French embassy had agreed to provide bail for her.
“We are very happy,” said the father of the prisoner, Remi Reiss, who also was able to talk to his daughter on the phone after her release. “This is a huge step for us. Now we will do everything possible to see that she is ultimately set free.”
Sarkozy praised Reiss’s courage. He said France demanded that the cases against Reiss and the French-Iranian employee of the embassy Nazak Afgshar be dropped as soon as possible. There was no justification for either case, the Elysee Palace said.
Iran’s government has charged that Reiss committed espionage and was involved in the protests against the recent election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The young French teacher had participated in demonstrations after the controversial reelection of Ahmadinejad June 12. In addition, she is charged with having sent a report to the embassy.
Reiss was arrested July 1 at the Tehran airport, shortly before her planned departure.
On Tuesday, Afgshar was released from prison, also on bail.
