Iran has reportedly released eleven political prisoners, three men and eight women including a noted human rights attorney and a reformist politician.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is a well-respected and outspoken human rights lawyer known for taking on high-profile political cases, and the winner of last year’s European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. 

Her husband was surprised when prison officials dropped her off at the family home on Wednesday night with no advance notice.  Sotoudeh was jailed in 2010 for supposedly “acting against national security”.

Sotoudeh, who has been compared to Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, said, “My goals and mentality are the same as before, I haven't changed.”

Reformist politician Mohsen Aminzadeh was a deputy foreign minister during the administration of President Mohammed Khatami.  He was also jailed in 2010, in this case for organizing protests and spreading propaganda against the system.

Iran has more than 800 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.

This comes as Iran’s moderate new President Hassan Rouhani described an exchange of letters with US President Barack Obama as “positive and constructive”.  Rouhani will visit the UN General Assembly next week.