German-Iranian Nahid Taghavi has returned to Germany after spending four years in an Iranian jail for rights activism, her family said on Monday.
Taghavi, 70, landed back in Germany on Sunday, human rights group Amnesty International said.
"After more than four years as a political prisoner in the Islamic Republic of Iran my mother #NahidTaghavi was freed and is back in Germany," Taghavi's daughter Mariam Claren wrote on X, sharing a picture of herself and her mother.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock commented on the post, describing Taghavi's release as "a great moment of joy".
Taghavi, a long-time activist who campaigned for women's rights and freedom of expression, was arrested in Tehran in October 2020.
Also read | Why is Iran changing its capital from Tehran to Makran?
In August 2021, she was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison for participating in an outlawed group.
Taghavi's health "deteriorated considerably" while she was being held in Tehran's Evin prison, known for holding political prisoners, Amnesty said.
#BreakingNews
— Mariam Claren #FreeNahid (@mariam_claren) January 13, 2025
It’s over. Nahid is free!
After more than 4 years as a political prisoner in the Islamic Republic of Iran my mother #NahidTaghavi was freed and is back in Germany. Thanks to everyone who campaigned to #freenahid. I kindly ask the media to respect our privacy. pic.twitter.com/0XTRg5wjeg
In all, the rights activist spent a total of seven months in solitary confinement, during which she was forced to sleep on the floor, the group said.
Taghavi was given medical leave on three occasions during her imprisonment, Amnesty said.
"Words cannot describe our joy," Claren said in a statement shared by the group.
"At the same time, we mourn the four years that were stolen from us and the horror she had to endure in Evin prison," she said.
Taghavi was one of a group of Western passport-holders detained in Iran as part of what rights groups describe as a deliberate policy of hostage-taking by Tehran to extract concessions.
Iranian state media last year announced the execution of German-Iranian national Jamshid Sharmahd, who spent several years behind bars in the country.
However, officials in Tehran later said that Sharmahd, who had been sentenced to death, had died before his execution could be carried out.
The death of Sharmahd sparked a serious diplomatic dispute between Tehran and Berlin, with Germany recalling its ambassador and closing three consulates in the country.
A German foreign ministry source on Monday told AFP that the government had been "intensively lobbying for Ms Taghavi's long overdue release".
The move comes at a hugely sensitive moment in relations between Iran and the West, days before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to power.
Iran was set to hold talks on Monday on its contested nuclear programme in Geneva with European powers France, Britain and Germany.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.