News / Middle East

Al-Jazeera Journalist Freed from Iran

Journalist Dorothy Parvaz
Journalist Dorothy Parvaz
TEXT SIZE - +

The Al-Jazeera television network says one of its journalists who went missing as she traveled to cover anti-government unrest in Syria last month has safely returned to Qatar, the network's headquarters.

The Arabic network says Dorothy Parvaz arrived in Doha on Wednesday and is in good health. Family members and her fiance, Todd Barker, say she was freed from Iran.

Parvaz was last heard from on April 29 after she left Doha for Damascus.

Syria was initially quiet on her fate.  However, last week, Syrian authorities said they had sent her to Iran after she tried to enter Syria with an invalid Iranian passport. Parvaz holds Iranian, U.S. and Canadian citizenship.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said it was "important" to Iran to determine what happened to Parvaz.  However, he did not confirm that she was being held in the country.

Mehmanparast did confirm Syrian accounts that Parvaz tried to enter Syria on an expired Iranian passport and planned to work in the country without a press permit.

Syrian has banned nearly all foreign journalists from working in the country, as part of its efforts to crack down on the opposition protests that erupted in March.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
and discuss them on our Facebook page.

You May Like

Video Star Trek Influence Lives Long and Prospers

As new movie thrills, many are once again discussing the iconic franchise's influence on society, science and technology More

OECD: Developing Green Cities Key to Sustainable Future

OECD suggests strategies to mitigate rapid growth, industrialization in urban centers, which produce about two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions More

Video Safe Rooms Saved Lives in Tornado Disaster

Safety experts say more safe rooms are needed in areas where tornadoes frequently strike More

This forum has been closed.
Comments
     
There are no comments in this forum. Be first and add one

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video Volunteers Help Revive LA's Concrete River

The Los Angeles River is a concrete drainage channel through much of its 80-kilometer length. It channels waste-water from storm drains and has become a receptacle for much of the city's trash. But as Mike O'Sullivan reports, the river is slowly being restored with the help of volunteers, who take part in an annual clean-up.