DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran might free 5 detained U.S. residents as a part of a deal beneath which $6 billion in Iranian funds in South Korea can be unfrozen and has moved 4 of them from jail to deal with arrest.
Following are the prisoners in Iran who might be moved to deal with arrest :
SIAMAK NAMAZI
Siamak Namazi, a businessman in his early 50s with twin U.S.-Iranian citizenship, was detained in 2015 by the Revolutionary Guards whereas visiting his household in Tehran. Months later his ailing father, Baquer, was detained after returning to Iran to go to his jailed son. They had been each sentenced in 2016 to 10 years in jail for spying and cooperating with the U.S. authorities.
A former Iranian provincial governor and former UNICEF official who additionally has twin citizenship, Baquer Namazi was put beneath home arrest in 2018 on medical grounds and left Iran in 2022 for medical therapy.
EMAD SHARGHI
In 2017 Sharghi and his spouse moved to Iran from america. The Iranian-American businessman was first arrested in 2018 when working for “Saravan Holding” tech funding firm. He was launched on bail after eight months and a Revolutionary Court docket cleared him of spying and security-related fees, however his journey ban remained.
On Nov. 2020 he was summoned by one other Revolutionary Court docket which sentenced him to 10 years in jail for espionage. He was not initially imprisoned however Iranian media reported he was arrested as he tried to flee Iran in Jan. 2021.
MORAD TAHBAZ
An Iranian-American environmentalist, who additionally holds British citizenship, Tahbaz was arrested in 2018. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2019 for “meeting and collusion towards Iran’s nationwide safety” and “contacts with U.S. enemy authorities … for the aim of spying”.
The fourth and fifth prisoners weren’t recognized.
IRANIAN PRISONERS IN THE U.S.
Beneath the deal, 5 Iranians jailed in america might be launched. For years, Iran has demanded the discharge of dozen Iranians in america, together with seven Iranian-American twin nationals, two Iranians with everlasting U.S. residency and 4 Iranian residents with no authorized standing in america.
Most of them have been sentenced to jail for “violating U.S. sanctions towards Iran”.
(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Enhancing by Angus MacSwan)