re: #296 Ward Cleaver

I was very happy to hear of her release, even though Iran gave a completely bogus reason - “islamic mercy”. Feh.

Not at all surprising or unexpected. Her propaganda value had dropped to near zero, and continued imprisonment would have increasingly been a liability for Iran. They can make a huge show of how merciful they are, and condemn the West out of the other side of their mouth at the same time, while avoiding any real penalties. It’s all upside from the Iranian perspective.