Iran Frees U.S. Scholar From Prison

"We had an extraordinary outpouring of help. I don't think I made any contact that refused me. Every day I got some offer of help, and sometimes several, from people I do not know," he said. "Everyone wanted to help. We just didn't always know what to do."

The United States was not part of the effort, however. "I throughout all of this have tried not to involve Haleh's case in the difficult problems between the United States and Iran," Hamilton said. "At all times, the administration was supportive and helpful. But they played no direct role as far as I know in contacting Iranian officials about Haleh."

Khamenei, who has veto power over all branches of government, was the last resort. Two weeks ago, Hamilton went to Iran's U.N. mission in New York to receive Khamenei's two-paragraph note, which was unsigned.

Iran's supreme leader said he was "pleased" with Hamilton's communication and his "commitment to peace and justice." He indicated that he had given instructions to resolve Esfandiari's detention, Hamilton said. The response, however, did not mention Esfandiari's name.

"My own speculation is that the importance of the supreme leader's letter was that he was able to cut through Iranian bureaucracy and maybe the ideological differences within the government, and I don't know that anyone else could do that," Hamilton said.

Esfandiari had no inkling of her release, her husband said. At 5 p.m. yesterday, she was called out of her cell and asked how she was, he said. "Look at my hands. They're all swollen," she replied, according to Bakhash. Esfandiari has suffered several serious health problems during her incarceration, her family said.

She was then told that she was free to leave the prison -- and that her mother was on her way to pick her up, Esfandiari told her husband.

"They accepted her mother's apartment for bail, which means there are charges against her," Bakhash said. "But I'm hoping that they will give her passport back and let her come home as soon as possible. She's now far from her family and grandchildren for nearly eight months, and it is time that they allowed her to come home."

Iran still holds Kian Tajbakhsh, a New York-based social scientist and a consultant to George Soros's Open Society Institute; California businessman Ali Shakeri; and Parnaz Azima, a correspondent for the U.S.-funded Radio Farda.