Ars Amiri, British-based Iranian student, released from Evin Prison on bail

Ars Amiri, an Iranian student at Kingston University in Britain who was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence officers and transferred to Evin Prison, has been released from prison after posting bail.

Mohsen Omrani, Ars Amiri’s cousin who announced her arrest several months ago in the previous year’s Esfand month, wrote on Twitter on Monday night, May 20, that Ms. Amiri has been released after depositing a bail of 500 million tomans.

Ars Amiri, a master’s student in the field of philosophy of art, traveled to Iran to visit her family but was arrested before returning to London.

Mr. Omrani wrote on Twitter: “Ars worked simultaneously for the British Council due to her field of study.”

This council previously had independent representation in Iran, but stopped its activities in Tehran about 9 years ago after its employees were summoned by security agencies.

32-year-old Ars Amiri, who had traveled to Iran multiple times before, traveled to Iran on the last day of Esfand last year to visit her ailing grandmother, but was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence officers five days later.

Mr. Omrani wrote: “Ars had friends from artistic groups in Iran as part of her work and collaborated in organizing exhibitions, film festivals, and generally cultural and artistic exchanges between Iran and England. Most importantly, all activities were conducted with the cooperation and coordination of the artistic departments of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.”

In recent years, several Iranians based in Britain have been arrested after traveling to Iran.

Last week, the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran confirmed that Abbas Edalat, a professor at Imperial College London and an activist against sanctions and military action against Iran, was arrested and detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Mr. Edalat was arrested by the Guards on April 15 at his home. According to those close to him, although bail has been set, he remains in detention.

Abbas Edalat founded an NGO in London in 2005 called the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) and called for the lifting of international sanctions against the Islamic Republic and the prevention of military intervention in Iran.

Mr. Edalat has traveled to Iran many times in recent years.

Another Iranian based in Britain who was arrested after traveling to Iran is Nazanin Zaghari, an employee of the Thomson Reuters Foundation who was arrested two years ago by Guards officers along with her young daughter at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran upon her return to London.

The court sentenced Ms. Zaghari to five years in prison on security charges. She and her family have denied these charges.