French President Emmanuel Macron called for the immediate release of a jailed researcher during a long telephone call with his Iranian equivalent.
French-Iranian anthropologist Fariba Adelkhah, 62, has been held in Iran since 2019. She is serving a five-year prison term over security charges that the French government described as “purely political and arbitrary”.
She had been held under house arrest since October 2020 but was returned to prison earlier this month. Her supporters say authorities are deliberately endangering her health, after poet Baktash Abtin died in custody this month after he contracted Covid-19.
Ms Adelkhah, a specialist in Shiite Islam and a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris, was arrested in June 2019 with her French colleague and partner, Roland Marchal. He was released in March 2020 in a prisoner swap.
She is believed to be one of at least 15 foreign or dual-national prisoners held by Tehran as pawns in wider political battles.
During the phone call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Mr Macron also raised the case of Benjamin Briere, a French national who went on hunger strike after being jailed for eight years on espionage and propaganda charges.
Mr Briere, 36, was arrested in May 2020 after taking pictures in a desert area where photography is prohibited and for asking questions on social media about Iran’s obligatory headscarf rule for women.
France and other world powers are negotiating with Iran in Vienna to revive the 2015 deal that the country made with world powers to limit its nuclear activities in return for an easing of economic sanctions.
Mr Macron “insisted on the need to speed up (negotiations) to quickly get tangible progress”, according to a statement from the French presidency.
Rights groups accuse hardliners in Iran's security agencies of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips for money or influence in negotiations with the West. Tehran denies it, but there have been prisoner exchanges in the past.
Following his release, Mr Marchal said: “I realised that I was just a bargaining chip. That was quite comforting. That meant there would be an end and there would be an exchange.”
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
