Iranian writer 'freed from jail'

Ramin Jahanbegloo was held at Tehran airport in May

A leading Iranian intellectual arrested four months ago on spying charges has been freed, Iranian news agencies say.

Ramin Jahanbegloo, who also holds Canadian citizenship, is a writer and lecturer on politics and philosophy.

He was arrested at Tehran airport in early May, and was accused of having links with foreigners and of trying to undermine the Iranian government.

Iranian human rights groups, scholars and the Canadian government had called for his release.

Mr Jahanbegloo, who holds doctorates from the Sorbonne and Harvard University, has written and edited more than a dozen books.

A senior Iranian official from within the judiciary had been quoted as saying earlier in August that Mr Jahanbegloo had confessed to attempting to undermine Iran's system of clerical rule, and had made an apology.