Iranian-American academic says his client was temporarily released Saturday night for Iranian New Year holidays

TEHRAN, Iran  The lawyer of an imprisoned Iranian-American academic says his client was temporarily released Saturday night for Iranian New Year holidays.The lawyer, Masoud Shafiei, told the Associated Press Sunday that Kian Tajbakhsh was healthy after nearly nine months in prison.Tajbakhsh was working on a book when he was arrested amid security forces’ postelection sweep against the opposition in July.He was among more than 100 people brought before a court in a mass trial in August.Tajbakhsh was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 15 years in prison but the term was reduced to five years by appeals court in February.Iranian New Year, later in March, is traditionally a time to release some prisoners.(AP)