A British-Iranian professor who had been detained in Iran on allegations of spying was released last week, the UK foreign office confirmed.
Abbas Edalat, who founded The Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran, was released last week, the group announced, saying his detention was a case of "misinformation and misunderstanding".
Mr Edalat's release raises hopes for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who has been detained in Iran since 2016, and whose case has become a key diplomatic bargaining chip for British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt.
Mr Hunt used his Christmas message to highlight Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case and other people unjustly imprisoned.
Happy Christmas to all. As we celebrate, let's also remember those unjustly imprisoned like Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who is 40 tomorrow and separated from her brave husband Richard and devoted daughter Gabriella. Many more like her - we will not forget them today #FreeNazanin
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) December 25, 2018
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who turns 40 on Boxing Day, has been imprisoned on spying charges for five years. She was arrested at Tehran airport after visiting her family.
The mother-of-one denies all charges.
Mr Edalat was carrying out an academic workshop in Iran when he was arrested on April 15 2018.
CASMII campaign against sanctions on Iran and argue that increased threats and tensions have contributed to the "potential for such interpretations."
"In the context of the multi-pronged attacks and open threats of the US, Israel and their allies to destabilise the Islamic Republic of Iran - including massive spending on economic warfare, espionage, and psychological operations against Iranians - the tensions are rising again and the potential for such misinterpretations is very real," they said in a statement.
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