NEWS RELEASES

August 30, 2006 (3:50 p.m. EDT)
No. 96

MINISTER MACKAY WELCOMES RELEASE
OF RAMIN JAHANBEGLOO

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today welcomed the release of Professor Ramin Jahanbegloo, who was incarcerated for more than four months in Evin Prison in Tehran.

“I welcome the decision of the Iranian authorities to release Professor Ramin Jahanbegloo, and will seek assurances that it is subject to no conditions,” said Minister MacKay. “This internationally renowned thinker and philosopher must finally be reunited with his family, and live without fear of reprisal.”

On numerous occasions, Minister MacKay clearly expressed concerns over the detention of Professor Jahanbegloo, arrested in late April of 2006. Canada made repeated and concerted efforts to obtain consular access to Professor Jahanbegloo, in order to provide him with the services to which he was entitled as a Canadian citizen.

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