Hamid Ghassemi-Shall, Toronto man who spent time on death row in Iran has returned home

TORONTO – Hamid Ghassemi-Shall arrived home a free man Thursday afternoon after years on death row in a prison notorious for abuse.

The Canadian has been in Iranian detention since his 2008 arrest, accused of espionage along with his brother Alborz Ghassemi-Shall. The two spent years in Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Hamid Ghassemi-Shall, who emigrated from Iran after that country’s 1979 revolution, was sentenced to death in 2009 and an Iranian court later rejected an appeal.

The Toronto shoe salesman had made several trips back to visit family without incident before his arrest in 2008.

Ghassemi-Shall was freed last month. His brother was not so lucky: Alborz died in prison.

Ghassemi-Shall was at his wife Antonella Mega’s arm as he walked into Pearson Airport’s arrivals lounge to hugs and cheers Thursday. He signed an Amnesty International poster reading “Free at last.”

“My sister and her husband, they worked really hard to get me out of jail. And I appreciate it. From everyone. Thank you. Thank you very much.”

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Lynne Yelich says the government is relieved by the positive outcome of Ghassemi-Shall’s case, but she’s still concerned by the “untold numbers of political prisoners languishing in Iran’s notorious prison system.”