Kaveh Madani had been seen as symbol of Rouhani government’s attempt to reverse brain drainA top Iranian environmental scientist wooed by Hassan Rouhani’s administration to return home from the UK has left Iran amid a crackdown on environmentalists and pressure from hardliners. When Iran carried out mass arrests of environmental activists in February, Madani was detained for 72 hours. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kavous Seyed-Emami, an Iranian-Canadian professor and environmental activist, died while in custody in Iran. Madani confirmed the news of his departure from Iran on Twitter after an outspoken member of the parliament broke the news. Many such policies have been propagated by the Revolutionary Guards through its industrial arm, which has benefited from the projects.

Source: The Guardian April 18, 2018 04:52 UTC