PARIS: French academic Clotilde Reiss, held in Iran for 10 months since her arrest after anti-government protests, was en route home for France Sunday where she was to be met by President Nicolas Sarkozy, his office said.
Reiss, 24, who spent six weeks in Tehran’s Evin prison then was confined on bail to the French embassy, was released after payment of a large fine, her lawyer said.
"Clotilde Reiss has boarded a French government plane at Dubai airport and is currently en route towards France," a statement by the president’s office said.
"The President of the Republic will receive her and her family at the Elysee Palace as soon as she arrives in Paris," at around 1:00 pm (1100 GMT), it said.
Her release ends an affair that soured bilateral relations, already strained over Western concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.
The young researcher was arrested on July 1 after demonstrations against the disputed presidential vote. She was put on trial in August on charges of acting against national security.
At her first court appearance, which was televised, Reiss admitted taking part in anti-government protests "for personal reasons" and writing a report for an institute linked to the French Embassy cultural service.
"I am extremely happy of course," her father, Remi Reiss, told French RTL radio Sunday. "It ends the chapter … her life can return to normal.
"The lesson to draw from all this is the amazing experience she’s had. She left to export her culture, to give French courses. She took a variety of initiatives," he said.
Reiss’ lawyer, Mohammad Ali Mahdavi Sabet, said a court ruling Saturday had authorized her to leave Iran.
He told AFP Saturday a court handed Reiss a fine of $285,000 (€230,000) "which I paid this morning." Mahdavi Sabet said he did not appeal the ruling, which he called "close to an acquittal".
Without elaborating, the lawyer said the court had sentenced Reiss to two terms of five years then commuted this to a fine under a "clemency decision" by the region "because of the personal situation" of the defendant.
Described by those who know her as a serious scholar passionate about the Iranian language and culture, she was arrested shortly before flying home after completing a six-month teaching and research assignment in the city of Isfahan.
France’s governing right-wing UMP hailed Reiss’ release, saying "this happy outcome brings collective national relief," and praised "the courage and humility of our young compatriot".
Her release came a few days after a French court ruled against a US extradition request for Iranian engineer Majik Kakavand, held in France since March 2009.
Kakavand, who was released and flew home last week, had been arrested at the request of Washington which accused him of buying electronic components and measuring instruments and exporting them to Iran via Malaysia between 2006 and 2008.
In Tehran, the foreign ministry was quoted Sunday as saying the two cases had not been linked.
"Ms. Reiss’ release has nothing to do with Mr. Kakavand’s release," said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, quoted by the Fars news agency.
"The judiciary examined her case and she was allowed to leave according to the verdict," the spokesman said.
On Saturday, Senegal said that Reiss’s release came after mediation undertaken by President Abdoulaye Wade, as head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), with the Iranians since September, a government statement said.
It said Tehran had contacted the Senegales government last Tuesday charging Wade to notify France of the decision to release Weiss.
