German woman held in Iran granted medical leave following health complaints: daughter

German woman held in Iran granted medical leave following health complaints: daughter
German-Iranian women's rights activist Nahid Taghavi, is serving a 10-year jail sentence following her arrest in October 2020 for participating in an 'outlawed group'
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Nahid Taghavi has been held in the notorious Evin prison in Iran, where she is serving a 10-year prison sentence [Getty]

A German-Iranian woman jailed for rights activism in Iran has been granted a medical furlough to get treatment for back and neck problems, her daughter told AFP on Friday.

Nahid Taghavi, 67, was arrested in October 2020 after fighting for human rights in Iran for years, especially women's rights and freedom of expression, according to the rights group IGFM.

She was handed a decade-long sentence last year for participating in an outlawed group, a verdict Germany described as "incomprehensible".

According to her daughter Mariam Claren, Taghavi has been granted a "medical furlough to get adequate medical treatment".

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"She has multiple disc herniations in neck and back and carpal tunnel syndrome in her left hand," Claren said in an email.

"We do not know how long the medical furlough will be, but for now we are very pleased that after 641 days behind bars, she is out and can get the medical attention she urgently needed."

Claren has repeatedly flagged up warnings about her mother's health, saying she suffers from pre-existing conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes.

According to Claren, Taghavi has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where she contracted Covid-19 last year.