Widow of Iranian-Canadian who died in Tehran prison back in Canada

Maryam Mombeini was held for 18 months but has returned to her family in Vancouver

This handout photograph released on February 11, 2018 by the family of Iranian-Canadian environmentalist Kavous Seyed-Emami shows him at an unidentified location. AFP

The widow of an Iranian-Canadian academic who died in a prison in Tehran has returned to Canada after being freed from detention, according to officials.

Maryam Mombeini is the widow of Kavous Seyed Emami, who died in prison in February 2018 less than a month after his arrest. She was held for 18 months.

Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi alleged the professor was part of an espionage ring that collected information on "strategic areas". He was also accused of spying for Israel and the United States. Iranian authorities said he committed suicide in his cell, but this has been disputed by the family.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted that she was relieved that Mombeini was back home.

"You have all shown tremendous bravery in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I am thinking of you today!" she wrote.

Ms Mombeini, who had been prevented from leaving Iran since March 2018, joined family in Vancouver on Thursday, her son Ramin said on Twitter.

Her other son Mehran had previously defended his father's innocence.

"There is no shred of evidence against him, nothing," Mehran said.

Mehran said his father's legacy "was one of building bridges, of uniting people".

"He was a lover of not just Iran but its wildlife, its people," Mehran said.

Mehran said his father encouraged his sons to vote in Iran's election for moderate President Hassan Rouhani, "to vote for change, to vote for hope".

"We cannot believe the lack of support we've seen from the Iranian government," he said. "It's so unfortunate that they would do this to one of their sons."

Seyed Emami was the second Iranian-Canadian to die in an Iranian jail, following the 2003 death of photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who was arrested while taking pictures in front of Evin prison in Tehran.

Canada cut diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012.

Several foreigners, mostly dual nationals, are being held in Iran. Their arrests for a range of reasons have increased since the United States unilaterally left the Iranian nuclear agreement in May 2018.

Iran, which does not recognise dual nationality, does not generally grant consular access to binational detainees.