Female Academic Freed After Being Arrested and Jailed for 'Dabbling in Feminism'

Dr Homa Hoodfar, a former anthropology professor at Montreal's Concordia University specializing in Middle Eastern women's studies, was in Iran for personal reasons following the death of her husband. Iranian authorities first arrested her briefly in March, before being re-arresting her in June and transferring her to notorious Evin jail in Tehran. Hoodfar was admitted to hospital in August after spending several months in solitary confinement. According to Iranian state media, Hoodfar was released on "humanitarian grounds, including her illness."

Serious questions have been raised about the legality of the Iranian authorities' treatment of Hoodfar, and campaigners have accused the government of denying her access to her lawyer and proper medical treatment. While the Iranian government states that she was detained for "acts against national security," her family allege that she was held for her feminism and politics. The Free Homa website states that the academic is "best known for interrogating Western stereotypes about Muslim women, and has earned her the reputation as one of the most respected scholars working in the field of Middle Eastern women's studies."

Evin, the largest jail in Iran, is known to be a particularly cruel and dangerous place. In 2003, fellow Canadian-American photographer Zahra Kazemi died in Evin; a team led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning lawyer Shirin Ebadi (who also spent time in Evin) alleged she had been raped, tortured, and killed by Iranian officials.

It is likely that Hoodfar's release was hastened due to fears about her worsening health. The 65-year-old suffers from an autoimmune condition called myasthenia gravis, which requires medication. In a statement posted on the Free Homa site, her supporters described her as "barely able to walk and talk" after spending over 100 days in solitary confinement.

Hoodfar's release was negotiated by a coalition of countries including Oman, Italy, and Switzerland. According to the Oman News agency, Hoodfar was flown to Oman on September 26. After being reunited with her niece, Hoodfar spoke briefly to the press and thanked Omani premier Sultan Qaboos and the Canadian government for securing her release.

امتثالا للأوامر السامية لجلالة السلطان لتلبية التماس الحكومة الكندية ..الإفراج عن مواطنة كندية متحفظ عليها في إيران. — أخبار عمان|oman news (@oman1_news)September 26, 2016

In a press statement, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said, "Canadians are relieved that Dr Hoodfar has been released from jail and will soon be reunited with her family, friends and colleagues." Hoodfar's former employer, Concordia University, tells Broadly they were "overjoyed to learn that our colleague and friend Homa Hoodfar has been freed and is on her way to being reunited with her family."

Amnesty International, which has campaigned for Hoodfar's release, welcomed today's news. "It's a moral victory for her, her family and tens of thousands of Amnesty International members and supporters lobbied for her release," spokesperson Alex Neve tells Broadly.

The international human rights organization highlights that many other Iranian-foreign nationals are currently being held in the country (Iran does not recognize dual citizenship.) They include Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi, imprisoned since October, his 80-year-old father Baquer Namazi, and British-Iranian citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Kamal Foroughi. In further comments to Broadly, Amnesty spokesperson Felix Jaken criticizes the British authorities for not doing enough to secure the release of the detained British-Iranian nationals.

"Neither Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe or Mr Foroughi have received anything like fair treatment at the hands of the Iranian authorities and we've been urging the UK Government to press harder on their cases," he says. "Ministers should seize the opportunity that Dr Homa's release seems to represent and immediately make fresh representations to the Iranian authorities over Nazanin and Kamal."