TEHRAN, IRAN—An Iranian-Canadian professor and environmental activist has died in prison in Iran, according to media reports and the social media accounts of his son.

Kavous Seyed-Emami, a professor of sociology at Imam Sadiq University in Tehran and the managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, was arrested Jan. 24, according to his son.

In a post on Twitter and Instagram, Raam Emami called the news of his father’s death “impossible to fathom.”

He said his mother, Maryam, was told on Friday that Kavous had taken his own life.

On his Instagram account, Emami wrote that authorities said his father had committed suicide. He did not respond to requests for further comment.

Iran Wire writer Arash Azizi told CTV News Saturday that Emami was among a number of environmental activists who were arrested on “trumped-up charges” of espionage. He said a prosecutor had said publicly that environmental activism was being used as a cover for spying.

A member of Seyed-Emami’s family, who does not want to be identified, told CBC News late Saturday that the family is “utterly shocked and devastated” at his death and calls for the Canadian government to demand that Iran allow an independent autopsy to be performed.

In an email statement to The Canadian Press, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada says the department is “aware of these reports.”

Natasha Nystrom says consular officials in Turkey are “working to gather additional information and are providing assistance to the family of the Canadian citizen.”

The family member said Seyed-Emami was last in Canada on a sabbatical at the University of Lethbridge in late 2017.

With files from CBC

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