Iran frees Russian journalist held for nearly 2 weeks

MOSCOW – Russia says that Iran has released a Russian journalist who has been detained for nearly two weeks over a visa violation.

The Russian Embassy in Tehran tweeted that Yulia Yuzik was freed and left Iran on Thursday morning on an Aeroflot flight and that she will arrive in Moscow.

Yuzik arrived in Tehran on Sept. 29 and was detained Oct. 2 in her hotel room.

Last week, Iranian authorities said the case concerned a visa violation, and wasn’t related to counter-espionage.

Yuzik, who has worked for several prominent Russian publications and has reported from Iran, had earlier posted photographs from her trip on Instagram, saying she loved being in Iran.