A German Parliament Representative: The Islamic Republic Uses Nahid Taghavi as a Hostage

Norbert Röttgen, a representative of the Christian Democratic Party and a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, criticized the Islamic Republic on Thursday, March 1, for using Nahid Taghavi, a dual Iranian-German citizen, as a hostage. Mr. Röttgen wrote on the social media platform 'X' that at 69 years old, Ms. Taghavi is a hostage of the regime, citing her health issues. He accused the Islamic Republic of using this hostage as a means to exert pressure on Germany and urged the federal government to change its strategy towards Tehran. Norbert Röttgen emphasized that 'quiet diplomacy has not helped.' Maryam Kalar, Nahid Taghavi's daughter, reported on Thursday that her mother had been arbitrarily returned to Evin Prison in Tehran without any clear reason. In a statement published on Ms. Kalar's account on the social media platform 'X', it was mentioned that Nahid Taghavi, a 69-year-old dual German-Iranian political prisoner, was returned to Evin Prison on the evening of Wednesday, March 1. She noted that her mother had been released on medical leave with an electronic bracelet on January 8, but during this time, necessary medical care was almost impossible as she was not allowed to go beyond a 1,000-meter radius from her apartment. Maryam Kalar added that in recent weeks, Nahid Taghavi's eyes had developed a painful condition and she needed serious medical care. Previous reports indicated that Ms. Taghavi also suffered from severe joint pain, spinal issues, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Nahid Taghavi was arrested by the Islamic Republic's security forces in October 2020 and spent 220 days in solitary confinement in Ward 2-A of the Revolutionary Guards. Nahid Taghavi was also deprived of access to a specialist doctor until January 2022, and her hand mobility had decreased. Several dual citizens are imprisoned in the Islamic Republic on various charges, including Ahmadreza Jalali, Jamshid Sharmahd, and Mehran Raouf. Nahid Taghavi's daughter recounts the 'shocking' return of her mother to prison in the middle of her leave.