Jailed Feminists Reportedly Freed

Two Iranian feminist leaders, arrested nearly two months ago for speaking out against the Islamic Republic, have been freed on bail, the official IRNA news agency reported. Mehrangiz Kar and Shahla Lahiji, strong advocates of democracy and women’s rights, were released in Tehran after each posted the equivalent of $60,000 bail, the agency said, citing a court statement. It did not give the date of their release. The women were arrested in late April on their return from a seminar in Berlin, where they had criticized the Islamic Republic’s policies as undemocratic and prejudicial toward women.