The conservationists were arrested on espionage charges in 2018 while working to save the endangered Asiatic cheetah.
ADVERTISEMENTFour conservationists convicted of espionage in Iran have been released after six years in jail.
They were arrested in 2018 after being accused of spying while working to save the endangered Asiatic cheetah. Their conviction in 2019 was condemned around the world by conservationists, scientists and human rights organisations.
The group, which worked with the nonprofit Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF), includes Niloufar Bayani - an Iranian wildlife researcher and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) consultant - and environmental activists Houman Jowkar, Taher Ghadirian and Sepideh Kashani.
The four are among over 2,000 prisoners granted amnesty on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
UNEP, which has consistently called for the release of the conservationists, welcomed their release.
Environmentalists welcome the release of the prisoners
“Environmental conservationists are critical allies in protecting the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. They are essential to building a sustainable world for current and future generations,” Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, said in a statement.
“As Iran, the region and the world continue to face grave environmental challenges, including climate change, desertification and pollution, it is clear that no country is immune to the devastating impacts of environmental degradation,” she continued.
“All voices must be heard and protected as we seek environmental stewardship of the one and only planet on which we all depend.”
Environmental activists and ministers also expressed joy at their release, with Norway’s former Climate Minister Erik Solheim tweeting: “Wonderful news… I knew Niloufar from UN Environment where she served diligently. She is a remarkable environmentalist and human being. Finally she can be reunited with her family. I couldn't be happier!”
BBC Persian reporter Siavash Ardalan, meanwhile, shared an image of the smiling conservationists celebrating their release.
Why were the conservationists arrested?
The conservationists were arrested in 2018, along with five others, including Kavous Seyed-Emami, the 64-year-old founder of PWHF.
They were accused of espionage after using cameras to track endangered species in Iran, including the Asiatic cheetah and Persian leopard. Authorities claimed they were using scientific and environmental projects as a cover to collect classified military information.
“Protecting endangered wildlife is not a crime. These conservationists are scientists who were carrying out legitimate research,” Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director at Amnesty International said at the time. “It is absurd that they have been prosecuted without any evidence and are being treated as criminals.”
Iranian authorities released Sam Rajabi, another member of the group, in 2023.
Seyed-Emami, an Iranian-Canadian dual citizen, died while awaiting trial under disputed circumstances.
Bayani was sentenced to a 10-year prison term in 2019, while the others received six-to-eight-year terms on espionage charges.
The case against members of PWHF came as protests and unrest shook parts of Iran amid a government-imposed internet shutdown.
