An Austrian man imprisoned in Iran has been released from custody after receiving a pardon, local media reported on Tuesday.
The man had been accused of crimes in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province.
The report said the man had been handed over to Austrian ambassador Wolf Dietrich Heim, who facilitated his departure out of the country.
The man was reportedly detained in 2022 shortly after entering the country.
He was stopped while travelling by car en route to India.
A pistol and a night vision device were allegedly found with him.
Several European nationals, some of whom also hold Iranian passports, are being held in Iran.
Critics accuse Tehran of holding foreign nationals as political hostages.
Iran denies these allegations and often justifies the arrests with accusations of espionage. (dpa/NAN).
