Tehran releases Iranian-American Baquer Namazi after over six years of detention
Baquer Namazi
An Iranian American and former UNICEF official, Baquer Namazi, who has been detained in Tehran for over sixyears on spying charges has been released. The United States has previously called the charges against him baseless. Notably, he is also oneof the four citizens whose freedom was demanded by Washington in the context of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.
On Wednesday, the Iranian media posted footage of Namazi boarding a plane out of Tehran and said, “Mohammad Baquer Namazi, who had been released from prison a few days ago, left Iran today”, but did not announce where he is going. Later that day, Namazi landed in Muscat and Oman’s government announced his arrival in a tweet, indicating that Iran has allowed him to leave for medical treatment.
On the other hand, the former UNICEF official’s lawyer said that he is released from Iran “after more than 6.5 years of illegal detention”, this includes the time he was in jail as well as the period when he was barred from leaving the country.
“After a short layover, he will be leaving Oman and heading to Abu Dhabi”, said the human rights lawyer representing the Namazi family, Jared Genser. According to reports, the Iranian American will get undergo surgery to clear out “severe blockage of his left internal carotid artery (ICA)” which puts him at a “very high risk” for a stroke.
The US has been pushing Iran to release Namazi, his son and two other Americans, this is amid efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. Namazi’s son Siamak was also detained by Tehran. In 2016, the former UN official was convicted of “collaboration with a hostile government” and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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Reportedly, the Iranian authorities released him on medical grounds in 2018 and closed his case in 2020, commuting his sentence to time served. However, barred him from leaving until Saturday, when the UN said that he is allowed to leave on medical grounds. His 51-year-old son was also convicted in 2016 on the same charges and was released from Tehran's Evin prison on Saturday on a one-week renewable furlough but he was barred from leaving the country.
In a statement released by the Namazi family’s lawyer, Babak Namazi, Baquer Namazi's son, expressed gratitude for his father's release from Iran but also sorrow that his brother could not leave the country.
“While getting my father out of Iran is incredibly important, today is also bittersweet. My brother Siamak, as well as Americans Emad (Shargi) and Morad Tahbaz, remain detained in Iran and our nightmare will not be over until our entire family (and) the other Americans are reunited with their families,” the statement read. Meanwhile, Genser added that while today is a good day for the Namazi family, the work is far from over and said that they need Iran and America to reach an agreement which would bring all American hostages, held in Tehran, home.
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Reportedly, the Iranian Americans have often been used as pawns between the two nations, as Iran does not acknowledge their US citizenship. The two countries are now at odds over the 2015 pact which limits Tehran’s nuclear program in return for some relief from sanctions place against them.
(With inputs from agencies)
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