Baquer Namazi, 85, and his son Siamak have been released in Iran after 6.5 years in prison. Both were convicted of espionage. Namazi needs urgent medical attention.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had previously called on Iran to release the two Americans of Iranian nationality. Namazi, a former UNICEF employee, was arrested in February 2016 when he went to Iran to press for his son’s release. His son had been arrested a few months earlier. Both were sentenced in October 2016 to ten years in prison for espionage.
According to the US, they were wrongly detained. Namazi was released on medical grounds in 2018. He was placed under house arrest for the remainder of his sentence. According to the US State Department, he was not allowed to leave Iran after serving his sentence, despite repeated requests for urgent medical attention. Namazi is now on his way to Abu Dhabi via Oman to undergo surgery for a blockage in his carotid artery. His son is on leave.
The US has also pushed for the release of two other Americans while trying to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and Western countries. The US unilaterally withdrew from this deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump and re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran. Tehran then reversed Iranian obligations.
Ambassadors summoned
Tensions between Britain and Iran are now rising over the ongoing protests following the arrest and death of Mahsa Amini. The British Foreign Office said Monday that it had summoned the Iranian ambassador to Britain for the crackdown on the protests.
Iran’s foreign ministry, in turn, has summoned the British ambassador to Tehran in response to these “interventionist remarks” by the British. This is reported by Tasnim news agency. The ministry believes that the British are making ‘unilateral statements’ about the protests. That proves, Iran says, that it “plays a role in the belligerent scenarios of terrorists operating against the Islamic Republic.”
The ministry also believes that London’s comments on Iran’s internal affairs are “based on false and provocative interpretations”.
Protests in Iran over the arrest and death of Mahsa Amini continue:
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss out on any of the stars.
#85yearold #American #son #released #years #Iran