Via the AP: Iranian-American scholar leaves Iran

An Iranian-American academic imprisoned for months and accused of trying to create a “soft revolution” in Iran was permitted to leave the country and rejoin her family, her lawyer and family said Monday.

Haleh Esfandiari, 67, who was released on bail in August, picked up her passport and flew late Sunday from Iran to Austria, where her sister lives, said her daughter, Haleh Bakhash.

[…]

Esfandiari was detained Dec. 30 after three masked men holding knives threatened to kill her on her way to Tehran’s airport to fly back to the U.S. from a visit to her mother, the Wilson Center has said.

Certainly that is very good news.

However:

Iranian judiciary officials have not provided answers on Esfandiari’s legal status since the release. She may still have to stand trial or return to Iran to appear in court.

Given that her 93 year-old mother put up the deed to her house to bail her daughter out of jail, Iranian officials have more than enough leverage to force Esfandiari to return if they so choose.