Dubai: A famous Swedish model and television figure, who had been serving a 10-year imprisonment for promoting cocaine since 2013, was released from Dubai Central Jail following a pardon.
Farzan Athari, a 31-year-old Swedish-Iranian multi-talented model, actor, singer, TV host and personality, was released last week following a special pardon, a chief prosecutor told Gulf News.
“I can confirm he has been released upon a special pardon,” the chief prosecutor said.
In 2014, the Appeal Court commuted Athari’s life imprisonment to 10 years in jail after he was convicted of possessing 21 grams of cocaine that he was caught promoting near Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai.
He was also fined Dh50,000 and handed a deportation order.
Drug enforcement officers arrested Athari near Armani Hotel following a tip off that he possessed 11 plastic pouches of cocaine for promotional purposes.
The accused had pleaded not-guilty and refuted the accusation that he had possessed the cocaine for promotion.
“I possessed them for my personal consumption,” Athari told the court back then.
The Swedish-Iranian model’s pardon came after he was believed to have recorded a rap song from his detention centre.
The song titled ‘Save My Life’ which went viral on social media networks such as Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, contained a special plea in which Athari sought forgiveness, mercy and a pardon.
A twitter account [@FarzanAthari] — that’s believed to be Athari’s — read ‘I can’t believe it! This is the happiest day of my life …’.
A photo of Athari and his family was also posted on Instagram.
Athari’s lawyer, had contended in 2013 that drug enforcement procedures were carried out unlawfully against his client.
Detainees misled and intimidated Athari during his detention, claimed the lawyer.
“He did not possess the drug for promotion. This is the first time that he stands in court, whether it is in Dubai or his homeland Sweden. We provide the court with documents obtained from the Swedish authorities to confirm that Athari enjoys a clean record,” argued the lawyer.
Farzan Athari also became famous when he co-acted in a music video clip with renowned Lebanese music diva Haifa Wehbe in 2012.
Meanwhile his official Facebook page has more than 144,500 likes and he is known as an actor with a background of 10 years in the fashion and entertainment industry across 23 different countries.
Media reports confirmed Athari has already reunited with his family.
