Earlier on Thursday, journalist and rights advocate Emadeddin Baghi claimed in a social media post that Madani had been released from prison, calling it “one of the best pieces of news in these wartime days” and a “strong response to Iran’s enemies who are counting on internal divisions.”
However, Madani’s wife, Mansoureh Etefagh, later denied the claim, clarifying that her husband remains incarcerated.
She explained that the misunderstanding arose after a phone call between Madani and Baghi was arranged, during which Baghi mistakenly assumed Madani had been freed. “There has been no indication or action toward his release,” she confirmed.
Madani, a well-known sociologist and reformist thinker, was arrested on May 16, 2022. Authorities accused him of “contact with suspicious foreign actors” and “transmitting operational plans to internal elements.”
In a leaked audio file published by BBC Persian in November 2022, a senior intelligence official allegedly cited Madani as one of three key figures targeted by the US for coordinating protests inside Iran.
