A 60-year-old Iranian Dutchman was released in Iran after two years of imprisonment. The man, Sabri Hassanpour from Almere, was stuck for unclear reasons. Amnesty International had a connection with his political activities before.
From the Netherlands, he advocated political changes in his motherland, such as the separation of religion and state, of which there is no question in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Not to consider the Dutch
Hassanpour was arrested in April 2016 during a visit to his sister in Tehran. It was his first visit to Iran in thirty years. His health was bad. “He had heart problems,” says an Amnesty spokesman.
The fact that Iran does not recognise dual nationalities and therefore did not regard him as a Dutchman did not improve his case. Amnesty was committed to his case.
At home in Almere
Why the man is now released is unclear. A spokes-person for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can only confirm that ‘a Dutchman has recently been released in Iran’.
A reliable source confirms after reporting by Omroep Flevoland that it concerns Hassanpour. He is now back home in Almere.