Bernard Phelan “has a smile on his face” following his release from an Iranian prison, his cousin has said. 

The 64-year-old from Tipperary works in adventure travel and had often travelled to Iran before. 

While on a visit to the country in October, he was arrested and accused of stealing pottery, taking photographs and sharing information. 

“He was scoping out potential destinations with an Iranian colleague when he was literally approached by a couple of plain clothed policemen, picked him up, blindfolded him and put him in a van and hauled him off to prison,” his cousin Greg O'Corry-Crowe told The Hard Shoulder.

“For several months, he languished there without facing any kind of due process.” 

Mr Phelan always denied wrongdoing but was convicted and sentenced to six and a half years behind bars. 

The Phelan family feared he would never see his 97-year-old father again and the Irish Government lobbied intensively for his release. 

Last week, the Iranians confirmed Mr Phelan had been pardoned on consular and humanitarian grounds and had left the country on Friday. 

“Relief is one of the words,” Mr O'Corry-Crowe said.   

“Overjoyed and probably, of all the words, thankful to so many people who made this happen.” 

Mr Phelan experienced a number of health problems while in custody and the family were desperate to see him freed. 

“Every time we met an obstacle, we found a way around it,” Mr O'Corry-Crowe said. 

“In the weeks leading up to his release, there definitely was something in the air.” 

After months of worry and discomfort, he is currently recovering in hospital but the family say he is feeling upbeat. 

“What’s really positive is he has a smile on his face, he’s made of tough stuff and he’s definitely fighting hard to recover and I think he’s also anxious to thank all those people from the Tánaiste and the President, all the way down to people right across Ireland and the world,” Mr O'Corry-Crowe said. 

“It was amazing watching people write letters, do research, sign petitions, stop by a church and light a candle.”

Main image: Bernard Phelan