Americans detained in Iran moved to accommodate arrest beneath prisoner swap deal

Five Americans imprisoned in Iran have been launched and positioned beneath home arrest as a part of step one of a deliberate prisoner change between Tehran and Washington, officers have stated.

The US-Iranian twin nationals embody businessmen Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Shargi, 58, in addition to environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, 67, who additionally has British nationality.

They had all been jailed on the infamous Evin Prison on spying fees.

The identification of the fourth US citizen allowed out of jail has not been made public, whereas a fifth man had already been launched.

“My belief is that this is the beginning of the end of their nightmare,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken instructed a information convention in Washington, however cautioned that it was simply step one in a course of.

“There’s more work to be done to actually bring them home.”

It follows months of negotiations between the 2 international locations, that may embody a lot of Iranian prisoners being freed and the discharge of $6bn in Iranian authorities belongings blocked beneath US sanctions.

White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson confirmed the 5 have been all out of jail and beneath home arrest, saying they need to by no means have been detained.

She stated talks for his or her eventual launch “remain ongoing and are delicate”.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations stated the 2 international locations have agreed to “reciprocally release and pardon five prisoners”.

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The households of the Americans held in Iran say their family members are “hostages” taken captive on false fees and used as bargaining chips by the federal government.

Namazi, who in 2016 was convicted of espionage-related fees the US has rejected as baseless, has been
detained by Iran for greater than seven years.

Tahbaz was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in jail for “assembly and collusion against Iran’s national security” and dealing for the US as a spy.

Shargi was convicted of espionage in 2020 and in addition sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Jared Genser, a lawyer for one of many males, described the imprisoned Americans’ motion as an “important development”.

He stated: “While I hope this will be the first step to their ultimate release, this is at best the beginning of the end.”