Iran frees jailed conservationists who worked to save cheetahs

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has released two conservationists who worked to save the endangered Asiatic cheetah before spending five years in prison on espionage charges. A report by the Tehran newspaper Etemad said authorities had released Niloufar Bayani and Houman Jowkar on Monday night, who were part of a group of five activists sentenced in 2019. They were among more than 2,000 prisoners granted amnesty on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The United Nations Environment Program welcomed the release of Bayani and Jowkar, who are members of the nonprofit Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation.