In a prisoner swap Iran has released four Iranian-American prisoners to the US. Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, 39, was jailed for espionage, last November. The other three Americans were named as Pastor Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari. The United States in turn is offering freedom to seven Iranians being held for sanctions violation.
On Saturday, talks in Vienna, allowed for international sanctions on Iran to be lifted. This is all part of the nuclear deal which was agreed upon last year. The US citizens released were taken to a US base in Germany for medical treatment. The four prisoners are all dual US-Iran citizens. Pastor Saeed Abedini: aged 35, a Christian pastor was imprisoned since July 2012 for organising churches in people's homes.
Amir Hekmati: aged 32, former Marine who spent more than four years in prison on spying charges was taken during a visit to his grandmother.
Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari: is the fourth US citizen. Of the seven Iranian citizens being released, six are also citizens of the US Nader Modanlo, Bahram Mechanic, Khosrow Afghani, Arash Ghahreman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Saboun.
They are all accused or convicted of violating US sanctions on Iran. 14 Iranians sought by the US are removed from an Interpol wanted list.
A fifth American, writer and student Matthew Trevithick, was also released from jail in Iran on Saturday.
He had been held in prison in Tehran for 40 days. Matthew had been studying languages in Iran.
Comments