Fariba is back in France !

After four and a half years deprived of my freedom, I am back in France.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to French diplomacy, in particular the Crisis Unit and our embassy in Tehran; my lawyer who was more than a lawyer, an incomparable support and friend; my institution Sciences Po, in particular Mathias Vicherat, Michel Gardette, Vanessa Scherrer and Stéphanie Balme, but also Bénédicte Durand and Frédéric Mion who was able to send his affection all the way to Iran; the Paris City Council and in particular Marie-Christine Lemardeley; the Strasbourg City Council; my colleagues at the Centre for International Studies at Sciences Po and my colleagues from elsewhere; the European Network for the Analysis of Political Societies (Réseau européen d’analyse des soiétés politiques – REASOPO) and in particular its president Irene Bono ; my friends in Iran and Afghanistan, whose gestures of solidarity and friendship in such difficult circumstances have touched me deeply; my little Iranian and Alsatian families, and Béatrice’s very large family; all those who have accompanied me through this ordeal, in Iran, in France and around the world, particularly in Switzerland and Italy.

While in captivity, I was saddened to learn of the death of François Nicoullaud, who did so much for relations between France and Iran without always being understood in his own country.

My first thought on landing was for Osman Kavala, unjustly sentenced to life imprisonment in Turkey. My thoughts also go to my former cellmates in Evin, notably Niloufar Bayani, Sepideh Kashani and Kylie Moore Guilbert, who supported me from the moment I was provisionally arrested, and to my French compatriots who have not yet regained their freedom.

That is all behind me now. What remains are all the gestures of friendship and commitment, the engagement of people both known and unknown, friends for a day and friends for ever. And, of course, what the support committee has been able to do beyond my case, for more than 4 years, out of loyalty to the principle of scientific freedom. Thank you in particular to Sandrine, Marielle, Richard, Corinne and Martine, and to all those who supported the initiatives of my friends Jean-François and Béatrice, for whom words are not enough to express my feelings.

I have nothing else to add: to all of you, a huge thank you!

Fariba

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