British Prime Minister Expresses Concern Over Sentence of Ares Amiri, Imprisoned Student in Iran

Theresa May, Prime Minister of Britain, said that the issuance of a prison sentence for a member of the British Council cultural body by the Islamic Republic has made her “deeply concerned.”

According to Reuters, the British Prime Minister, referring to being “shocked” by the news, said the convicted individual “worked for a legal institution whose goal was to improve relations between the two countries.”

Jeremy Hunt, British Foreign Secretary, also described the issuance of a ten-year prison sentence as “deeply concerning” in his reaction yesterday.

Gholamhossein Esmaili, spokesman for the Judiciary, said on Monday, 23 Ordibehesht, that a person who was “in charge of Iran’s desk at the British Council,” a cultural body, has been sentenced to ten years in prison.

A few hours after the news was published, the Guardian website reported that this person is “Ares Amiri,” a 33-year-old student who was detained by the Islamic Republic last year.

Ares Amiri had traveled to Iran many times before, but the last time he went to visit his sick grandmother, five days after entering the country, he was arrested by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence in Esfand 96.

Shortly after, this Iranian student from Kingston University in Britain, who was transferred to Evin Prison after his arrest, was released from prison in the year 97 after posting a bail of 500 million tomans.

However, he was arrested again in Shahrivar 1397, and since then no news has been reported about him.

Source: Voice of America