An Iranian woman, jailed by the United States for attempting to export military equipment to Tehran, has been freed and arrived in Oman on Tuesday, the government in Muscat announced. A foreign ministry spokesman thanked the US government for releasing Shahrazad Mir Gholikhan "on humanitarian grounds and following efforts made by Oman", Oman's state news agency Ona said.
"This humanitarian initiative will serve the interests of both countries and stability in the region," the spokesman added. Surrounded by members of her family, who had travelled to Oman, Gholikhan on arrival at Muscat airport late Tuesday thanked Sultan Qaboos bin Said for mediating her release. She said she was "happy to be free again ... and to start a new life", Ona quoted her as saying.
A US State Department official said Gholikhan completed her prison sentence and left the country, noting that during her incarceration Gholikhan had access to both legal counsel and consular officers. Gholikhan, who was 31 at the time, was convicted in December 2008 and sentenced to five years for attempting to export military equipment to Iran. US authorities said she was prosecuted for trying to send 3,000 military night vision goggles and other items to her homeland. She was arrested after a joint investigation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities and the US Defence Department.
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