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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">August 30, 2006 <i>(3:50 p.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 96</span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">MINISTER MACKAY WELCOMES RELEASE<br>
OF RAMIN JAHANBEGLOO</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">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.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“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.”</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">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.</span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">- 30 -</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada<br>
613-995-1874<br>
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221012915/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
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