Qatar repatriates 2 Iranian prisoners

Tehran, Aug 23

Two Iranians imprisoned in Qatar have been released and returned to their home country, Iranian Ambassador to Qatar Hamidreza Dehghani said.

The two were freed and repatriated to Iran on Monday night thanks to efforts by the staff of the Iranian embassy in Doha, the ambassador said on Instagram on Tuesday.

The two Iranians entered Qatar by the Hayya Card -- an entry permit to Qatar used during the FIFA World Cup 2022 -- and worked in the country without a permit, said Dehghani, stressing that the Iranian embassy had previously warned that the Hayya Card cannot be used as a permit for working in the Arab country, Xinhua news agency reported.

In June, Qatar released seven Iranian nationals imprisoned in the country. Six of them were detained for illegal entry into Qatar's territorial waters, according to Fars.