Morad Tahbaz
Morad Tahbaz is an Iranian-American businessman and conservationist.[1][2] He was born in London and holds British citizenship.[3] Tahbaz is a co-founder of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF).[4] In January 2018, Iranian authorities arrested Tahbaz along with eight other PWHF-affiliated individuals.[5][6]
In November 2019, the Iranian judiciary sentenced Tahbaz to 10 years in prison for "contacts with the US enemy government."[7]
In June 2020 and on the occasion of World Environment Day, US Department of State called for the release of Morad Tahbaz. In a video message, Brian Hook encouraged governments to join this call to end the detention of Tahbaz and his colleagues.[8]
Tahbaz was released from prison 'on furlough' on March 16th, 2022.[9] He was returned to prison two days later. [10]
Education
Tahbaz graduated from Colgate University in 1977 with a degree in liberal arts and from Columbia University in 1983 with an MBA.[2]
See also
- List of foreign nationals detained in Iran
- Niloufar Bayani, PWHF employee also being held in detention
- Hostage diplomacy
References
- "He Fought for Iran's Environment and Was Arrested. Now, He's Dead". The New York Times. February 10, 2018.
- "Iran's Environment, Challenges and Opportunities". UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies. March 3, 2015.
- "Iran 'sentences wildlife activists' accused of spying". BBC News. November 20, 2019.
- "Environmental Scientists Being Detained In Iran and Accused of Spying". Committee of Concerned Scientists. October 18, 2018.
- "Environmentalists Detained in Crackdown Denied Legal Counsel Amid Claims Some Were 'Jewish Spies'". Center for Human Rights in Iran. March 5, 2018.
- "Another American Confirmed Held in Iran". The Wall Street Journal. February 12, 2018.
- "Six Conservationists Sentenced to Long Prison Terms in Iran After Two Years Behind Bars". Center for Human Rights in Iran. November 20, 2019.
- "On #WorldEnvironmentDay, we call for the release of Morad Tahbaz, a renowned conservationist suffering in a jail cell in Iran. All who care about basic human rights, the environment, and the preservation of endangered species should join our call for Iran to #FreeMorad". June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020 – via Twitter.
- "Brit wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz released from jail after Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed". ITV News. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- "British-Iranian Morad Tahbaz returned to Tehran prison". the Guardian. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.