Armenian Reporter, by Emil Sanamyan -- Silva Harotonian, an Iranian-Armenian IREX employee who has been sentenced to three years in prison over what her family calls a “tragic misunderstanding.”.

In a March 10 statement her employer the U.S.-funded International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) thanked "the Government of Armenia for their engagement in securing Silva's release." Details of that engagement have not been made public.

Ms. Harotonian, an Iranian citizen, was arrested on June 26, 2008, while on a business trip to Tehran for IREX's Maternal and Child Health Education and Exchange Program (MCHEEP). A Yerevan-based administrative officer for the program, launched in 2007, she was the only IREX staff member working in Iran at the time.

The arrest only became public in February 2009 when Ms. Harotonian was sentenced to three years in prison on charges that she was involved in activities directed against the Iranian government; Ms. Harotonian was reportedly forced to implicate herself under duress.

In subsequent months, Ms. Harotonian's family with the help from U.S. government and Iranian human rights activists publicly campaigned for her release, establishing a dedicated web site at www.freesilva.org and holding media events in Paris and New York.

On July 1, Iran's ambassador in Armenia expressed hope that Ms. Harotonian would be soon be granted clemency.

Soon after Ms. Harotonian's family suspended public campaigning reporting on their web site that there were hopeful signs pointing towards her release, which eventually came this month.

The IREX statement that announced Ms. Harotonia's release last week also asked "that the media kindly respect Silva and her family's privacy."