U.S. officials confirmed Saturday that Iran has released four U.S.-Iranian prisoners, including Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post Tehran correspondent who had been held since July 2014 on espionage and other charges.
Tehran has also agreed to continue to try to find a fifth American, Robert Levinson, who was working in an unauthorized CIA operation when he disappeared in Iran in 2007, a U.S. official said.
In return, the U.S. has offered clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom are dual citizens, who were convicted in the U.S. or awaiting trial, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. The U.S. also removed so-called red notices from Interpol and dismissed charges against 14 Iranians whom it believed would never be extradited.
A fifth American detained in Iran, a student, was also released in a move unrelated to the prisoner exchange, Iranian media reported. He was identified as Matthew Trevithick.
The announcement of the releases coincided with an expected commencement Saturday of an international agreement to begin lifting sanctions against Iran in exchange for a limited dismantling of its nuclear program.
“It’s now time for all — especially Muslim nations — to join hands and rid the world of violent extremism. Iran is ready,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said on Twitter of the anticipated implementation announcement.
Rezaian, 39, a native of Marin County in California, had been held in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison for what the Fars News Agency in Iran, citing an Iranian Revolutionary Guard report Saturday, said were his purported “attempts to help the U.S. Senate to advance its regime change plots in Iran.”
But Rezaian, a widely respected bureau chief for the Post in Tehran since 2012, appeared to have been a victim of both international and Iranian domestic politics. His imprisonment has seriously affected his health, family members have said.
The other U.S.-Iranian nationals released were identified as Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine accused of spying for the Central Intelligence Agency; Saeed Abedini, an Iranian American Christian pastor accused of attempting to undermine national security by establishing churches in private homes; and Nostratollah Khosravi, whose name had not previously been made public.
Attorneys for Hekmati and Rezaian have denied the charges against them.
“This has been an answer to prayer,” Abedini’s wife, Naghmeh, said in a statement released by the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative Christian-based group. “This is a critical time for me and my family. We look forward to Saeed’s return and want to thank the millions of people who have stood with us in prayer during this most difficult time.”
Levison’s family also welcomed the news of the releases but was distressed that their loved-one was not among those freed.
“We are happy for the other families. But once again, Bob Levinson has been left behind,” they said in a statement posted on a family website. “We are devastated.”
Iran’s government has never acknowledged holding Levinson, but has said that the country’s intelligence services could help look for him.
Iranian media identified the Iranians freed from U.S. jails as Nader Modanlou, Bahram Mechanic, Khosrow Afqahi, Arash Ghahreman, Touraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Sabounchi.
Rumors have circulated for months that some U.S. citizens being held in Iran could be released as part of a prisoner exchange for Iranians held in U.S. jails on various charges relating to violating sanctions against the country. But until Saturday there was no progress reported on behind-the-scenes talks to free the prisoners.
The announcement of the releases coincides with the expected lifting of nuclear-related sanctions. The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog in Vienna is expected to confirm Saturday that Iran has complied with its vow to constrain nuclear activity as part of last year’s landmark deal between Iran and six world powers.
The prisoner exchange likely would have been approved by Iran’s highest authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“In line with ratifications of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the Islamic establishment’s interests, four Iranian prisoners, who hold dual nationality, have been released within the framework of a prisoner swap,” Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said in a statement Saturday reported by the nofficial Islamic Republic News Agency.
Iran does not recognize dual citizenship and has treated all four jailed U.S.-Iranian nationals as Iranian citizens.
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-iran-prisoners-released-20160116-story.html
So, we are at war. Prisoner exchange? You mean “hostage release” on both sides. Prisoner exchange occurs between nations at war. Oh that’s right, we don’t declare war any more, we just bomb the f*$k out of them.
oh o The neo-cons are not going to get there war now started with Iran. What will they talk about now during the debates?
They’re either all spies, or rich Jews, but they’ll be no prisoner exchanges for anyone else.
“It’s now time for all — especially Muslim nations — to join hands and rid the world of violent extremism.”
That would be the jews he’s talking about.
Agreed.