Abbas Edalat: London-based academic and activist detained in Iran, human rights group say

A British-Iranian academic has been detained by authorities in Iran, a human rights group has claimed.

Academic and anti-war activist Abbas Edalat, who is based in London, travelled to Iran from his home to attend an academic workshop, according to the Centre for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

UK officials are making "urgent" inquiries with authorities in Iran following reports that Mr Edalat was arrested by Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

Mr Edalat is a professor of computer science and mathematics at the Imperial College London.

His home in Tehran was reportedly been raided and his belongings, including his computer, were confiscated when he was arrested, according to the New York-based CHRI.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are urgently seeking information from the Iranian authorities following reports of the arrest of a British-Iranian dual national."

An attempt by his family to secure his bail has failed, according to reports.

It comes amid the Foreign Office’s long battle to free Iranian-British dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2016.