Reports indicate that the Italian police released Mehdi Khosravi (Yashar Parsa), a political refugee and the executive secretary of the National Council of Iran, on Thursday. The Italian police had announced on Saturday that 37-year-old Mehdi Khosravi was arrested near his hotel in northern Italy following the issuance of an international arrest warrant by Iran 'on charges of financial corruption.' In this context, the National Council of Iran for Free Elections (a political organization led by Reza Pahlavi, of which Khosravi is the executive secretary) had previously stated that the Italian police informed this political refugee that he was arrested based on a court order from Iran and was to be extradited to the Islamic Republic. The National Council of Iran for Free Elections published a photo of Mehdi Khosravi and announced that he had been released. Meanwhile, on the Facebook page of this group, Mehdi Khosravi wrote under his photo: 'Moments ago, the highest court in Italy officially declared the order issued by the Iranian government illegal and issued my release... and declared the international arrest warrant illegal.' The ANSA news agency reported that Mehdi Khosravi was interrogated in a Milan court and was released after his lawyers presented his asylum documents from Britain to the court. According to the German news agency, a spokesperson for Amnesty International in Italy stated that this organization provided legal assistance to Mr. Khosravi's lawyers and was prepared to file a complaint with the Minister of Justice if he was not released. Previously, Reza Pahlavi had also written a letter to Matteo Renzi, the Prime Minister of Italy, stating that Mr. Khosravi was a refugee in Britain and had entered Italy on August 6 (three days prior). According to Mr. Pahlavi, he was arrested 'on the claim that his name is on the international police list due to a complaint from the Islamic Republic police,' and his extradition to Iran 'would expose him to the risk of torture and execution.' Reza Pahlavi requested the Italian Prime Minister to intervene personally in this matter.
Italian Police Released Mehdi Khosravi
Mehdi Khosravi, a political refugee and executive secretary of the National Council of Iran, was arrested in Italy under an international warrant issued by Iran for financial corruption but has since been released after the Italian Supreme Court deemed the warrant illegal. His case highlights the tensions between Iranian authorities and political dissidents abroad, particularly in the context of human rights concerns.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Italian police released political refugee Mehdi Khosravi after an illegal arrest warrant from Iran.
- Italian police arrest Mehdi Khosravi
- Italian court release Mehdi Khosravi
- Reza Pahlavi intervene Matteo Renzi
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The release of Mehdi Khosravi underscores the legal challenges Iran faces in pursuing dissidents abroad.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 90%