The sister of a French-Iranian citizen released from an Iranian prison has described the joy, smiles and “huge hugs” as she greeted him as he stepped off a plane in Paris.
Bernard Phelan, who also has Irish citizenship, and another French national, Benjamin Briere, who was in custody for two years, were released on humanitarian grounds last Friday.
Caroline Phelan, Mr Phelan's sister, was at Le Bourget airport to welcome him home.
“It was an unbelievable moment. Just couldn't believe it, couldn't believe it,” she said.
“To see him walking off the plane in France after such stress and such a long time and huge hugs … We were all in tears.
“So it was an amazing moment. And then the French team were there as well. And we've all bonded over these seven months. Just to welcome him home.
“And of course then we rang my father in Dublin. So, my father, Vincent, is 97 and he thought he'd never see his son again. So it was a very special moment for him too.”
Mr Phelan, 64, a travel consultant in Paris, was held in a prison in Mashhad, north-east Iran, for seven months.
His detention for inciting propaganda came during mass anti-government protests that erupted last autumn.
He was later sentenced to six and a half years for providing information to an enemy state, a charge he denied.
The Foreign Ministry in Tehran called their release a “humanitarian action”. Mr Phelan’s family has raised his health problems throughout his detention.
Ms Phelan said her brother would spend time in hospital in France recovering. She said the family was “over the moon” to have him back safe.
“He looked weak, but just still overjoyed. So I think that joy was boosting him. So he is in hospital. I saw him yesterday (Sunday).
“He can't get over the peace and quiet, the silence after being in a cell with 16 other people, having a bathroom.
“And the day before he had his bare feet in the grass because he hasn't seen grass for seven months. They had a courtyard with big high walls and they were only allowed out for 45 minutes a day. So just to put bare feet in the grass on the Saturday afternoon was heaven.”
Ms Phelan rejected claims from the Iranian authorities that her brother was cared for appropriately in prison.
“We wouldn't consider that he was well looked after,” she said.
“He did see a doctor, there was a doctor in the hospital, he was given tests in the last month. He was given a chair and a table in the last month, but he was sitting on the floor for six months.
“Maybe in Iranian standards they think that a prison like that is OK, but it is not in our standards to treat people like that. We would not agree that he was well looked after. But he's home safely and that's what counts.”
She said her brother was looking forward to a fried breakfast and a cup of tea on his return to Ireland.
Ms Phelan added: “I think he's also very conscious of the other Europeans he left behind, it's something he raised with me. He's very conscious that himself and Benjamin got home but there are a lot of other Europeans in Iran today. I don't know when they will come home, but he is very thankful to be one of the first home.
Iran has frequently been accused of taking western citizens hostage to use as political bargaining chips.
Britain settled a historic £400 million ($498 million) debt to Iran during negotiations for the release of dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe last year.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France “will continue to act to return our fellow citizens who are still detained in Iran”.
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
The five pillars of Islam
ARABIAN GULF LEAGUE FIXTURES
Thursday, September 21
Al Dahfra v Sharjah (kick-off 5.35pm)
Al Wasl v Emirates (8.30pm)
Friday, September 22
Dibba v Al Jazira (5.25pm)
Al Nasr v Al Wahda (8.30pm)
Saturday, September 23
Hatta v Al Ain (5.25pm)
Ajman v Shabab Al Ahli (8.30pm)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
