TV journalist Dorothy Parvaz, who was detained in Syria after arriving to cover the unrest there has been released and will be returning to her family in Canada.
Parvaz, 39, was deported first to Iran and then to Qatar, where the headquarters of Al Jazeera is located, the station she works for.
She disappeared a month ago shortly after arriving in Damascus to cover the anti-government protests in Syria.
Her family says they had heard nothing from her until Syria confirmed last week they had deported her to Iran. Parvaz has U.S., Canadian, and Iranian citizenship.
“It’s definitely a huge relief,” her fiancé Todd Barker, told The Epoch Times via telephone. “We are looking forward to seeing her.”
Parvaz’s family spoke to her shortly after she arrived in Doha, Qatar, and said that she had been treated well in Iran.
“She is safe in Doha and will be coming to Vancouver B.C. soon,” the family said in a posting on Facebook.
“She said that she was treated well in Iran. She sounded positive and grateful for the support—but a little embarrassed. We are very thankful to Iranian authorities for her release and good treatment,” reads the statement.
On Tuesday, Iranian authorities released a statement saying that Parvaz had committed “several offenses” and that her case was being investigated. In an unrelated report, Iran’s official news agency IRNA stated on Wednesday that Iran was seeking closer ties with Qatar.
In a statement released on its website, Al Jazeera said that Parvaz was “safe and well and back with us in Doha.”
“She has been in contact with her family, and we are with her now to find out more about her ordeal over the last 19 days,” a spokesman for the channel said.
Over 16,200 people joined a group titled “Free Dorothy Parvaz” on Facebook since her detention on April 29, and many left congratulatory messages after hearing the news of her release.
Administrators on the page thanked the many who had helped campaign for her release. “Thanks to everyone for your support, for your ideas, for sending e-mails and making phone calls,” the statement said. “It’s really helped her family and close friends. It’s meant the world.”
The case was taken up by the Committee to Protect Journalists, who this week issued a statement declaring that Syria’s record in detaining or obstructing journalists was “atrocious.”
