Grandfather may be freed from Iran jail after five years

A BRITISH grandfather who has spent more than five years in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons on espionage charges will be released within a week, his family has said.

Iranian-born Kamal Foroughi, 76, had been working in Tehran as a consultant to the Malaysian oil company Petronas when he was arrested by plainclothes police in 2011. He was sentenced to eight years in Evin prison for spying, although the evidence against him has not been made public.

In a statement to supporters yesterday, his son Kamran Foroughi, 41, said: “We have just had some great news. 76year-old Grandpa Kamal’s lawyer visited him last Saturday and told him some news from the Judiciary and Prosecutors’ Office that all the relevant parties have agreed and signed for his release.”

His family has applied for his release more than 50 times, but said they were quietly optimistic this time after receiving their first official reply.

“If he is released, it would be unbelievably good news. We’ve been hoping and praying for this for many years,” Kamran told the i website. “We’re trying to be level-headed and cautious and getting back to our daily lives, but this has taken over the family’s emotions for many years now, so it would be an extremely pleasant shock if it happened.”

Mr Foroughi’s family has been concerned about his health, and have worried he would die in prison. Britain raised his case several times with Iran, with whom it established full diplomatic relations after last year’s nuclear deal.

Mr Foroughi, who came to Britain in the 1970s, holds both an Iranian and a British passport. Iran does not recognise dual nationality and so has treated Mr Foroughi as an Iranian citizen.

It is not known whether he will return to the UK as released prisoners are often subject to travel bans.