Iran President’s top aide gets jail leave

A top aide to Iran's president was temporarily freed from prison on Wednesday, Iranian media said, in the latest twist in a case seen as reflecting the waning influence of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the country's factionalised politics.

Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad's press adviser and head of the state news agency IRNA, was sent to Tehran's Evin prison in September to serve a six-month term for publishing an article deemed offensive to public decency.

Javanfekr's son, Mohammad Javanfekr, told Fars news agency late on Wednesday evening that his father had left Evin prison and was heading home with members of his family, Fars reported.

The temporary leave was granted on the request of Javanfekr's family, and it was unknown how long the leave would last, Fars said.

However, state-run Iran Daily in a short report on Thursday said Javanfekr "was released at midnight ... his four-day release is for (the purpose) of medical treatment, after which he is committed to return to prison."

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