Morad Tahbaz

{{Short description|Iranian-American businessman and conservationist}}

Morad Tahbaz is an Iranian-American businessman and conservationist.{{cite news|date=February 10, 2018|title=He Fought for Iran's Environment and Was Arrested. Now, He's Dead|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/10/world/middleeast/iran-environmentalist-dead-prison.html |work=The New York Times}}{{cite web|date=March 3, 2015|title=Iran's Environment, Challenges and Opportunities|url=https://international.ucla.edu/cnes/article/150439|publisher=UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies}} He was born in London and holds both British and U.S. citizenship.{{cite news|date=November 20, 2019|title=Iran 'sentences wildlife activists' accused of spying|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50493501|work=BBC News}} Tahbaz is a co-founder of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF).{{cite web|date=October 18, 2018|title=Environmental Scientists Being Detained In Iran and Accused of Spying|url=https://concernedscientists.org/2018/10/environmental-scientists-being-detained-in-iran-and-accused-of-spying/|publisher=Committee of Concerned Scientists}} In January 2018, Iranian authorities arrested Tahbaz along with eight other PWHF-affiliated individuals.{{cite web|date=March 5, 2018|title=Environmentalists Detained in Crackdown Denied Legal Counsel Amid Claims Some Were 'Jewish Spies'|url=https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2018/03/environmentalists-detained-in-crackdown-denied-legal-counsel-amid-claims-some-were-jewish-spies/|publisher=Center for Human Rights in Iran}}{{cite news|date=February 12, 2018|title=Another American Confirmed Held in Iran|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/another-american-confirmed-held-in-iran-1518479034|work=The Wall Street Journal}}

In 2018, an Iranian Presidential Commission composed of Cabinet Ministers appointed by Iranian President Rouhani investigated allegations of spying{{Cite web |date=2023-08-12 |title=Iran's steely determination pays off |url=https://en.mehrnews.com/news/204444/Iran-s-steely-determination-pays-off |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Mehr News Agency |language=en}} and concluded that the facts do not support the claims against Tahbaz or his colleagues. Iranian Lawmaker Mahmud Sadeghi said that Tabhaz and his colleagues did nothing wrong and “must be freed soon.”{{Cite news |last=Esfandiari |first=Golnaz |title=Jailed Iranian Ecologist Says Threatened With Rape, Death, Forced To Imitate Animals |language=en |work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/jailed-iranian-ecologist-says-she-was-threatened-with-rape-death-forced-to-imitate-animals/30449008.html |access-date=2023-11-09}}

In November 2019, the Iranian judiciary sentenced Tahbaz to 10 years in prison for "contacts with the US enemy government."{{cite web|url=https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2019/11/six-conservationists-sentenced-to-long-prison-terms-in-iran-environmentalist/|title=Six Conservationists Sentenced to Long Prison Terms in Iran After Two Years Behind Bars|date=November 20, 2019|publisher=Center for Human Rights in Iran}}

In June 2020 and on the occasion of World Environment Day, US Department of State called for the release of Morad Tahbaz. In a video message, Brian Hook encouraged governments to join this call to end the detention of Tahbaz and his colleagues.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/statedept/status/1269028252045185025|title=On #WorldEnvironmentDay, we call for the release of Morad Tahbaz, a renowned conservationist suffering in a jail cell in Iran. All who care about basic human rights, the environment, and the preservation of endangered species should join our call for Iran to #FreeMorad.|date=June 5, 2020|access-date=June 8, 2020|via=Twitter|language=en}} Tahbaz's family is a part of the Bring Our Families Home campaign which works to bring home wrongful detainees and hostages.

Tahbaz was released from prison 'on furlough' on March 16, 2022.{{cite web |title=Brit wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz released from jail after Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed |url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2022-03-16/jailed-for-protecting-wildlife-the-forgotten-brits-still-behind-bars-in-iran |website=ITV News |access-date=16 March 2022 |date=16 March 2022}} He was returned to prison two days later. {{cite news |title=British-Iranian Morad Tahbaz returned to Tehran prison |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/18/british-iranian-morad-tahbaz-returned-to-tehran-prison |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=the Guardian |date=18 March 2022 |language=en}}

He was ultimately freed from imprisonment in Iran on September 18, 2023, as part of an Iran–United States prisoner release deal mediated by Qatar.{{cite news |title='The nightmare is over': Americans freed by Iran in prisoner swap |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-66841137 |access-date=18 September 2023 |work=BBC |date=18 September 2023 |language=en}}