Iran frees fourth US-Iranian

0 Comments | AFP, September, 2007

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran has freed a US-Iranian businessman and peace activist detained since May on suspicion of harming national security, a judicial source told AFP on Tuesday.

"Ali Shakeri was released on a one-billion-rial bail (107,000 dollars) yesterday," the source said, adding that "he has to make a written request to the judge if he wants to leave the country."

The California-based activist was arrested in May along with US-Iranian academics Haleh Esfandiari and Kian Tajbakhsh, who faced similar accusations and were released on bail after spending more than 100 days in prison.

The release came as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad started his third visit to the United States where he was to address the UN General Assembly amid controversy over his...