Dual Citizen Sentenced to 10 Years Imprisonment in Iran

According to a statement by the Judiciary Spokesperson, an individual holding dual Chinese-American citizenship has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in a primary court on charges of “direct espionage for America.” The U.S. State Department has called for the immediate release of its citizen.

Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje’i, the Judiciary Spokesperson, confirmed in a press conference on Sunday (July 16) that an individual holding dual citizenship has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

According to Eje’i, this individual was a “foreign infiltration agent” and was identified and subsequently arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence. The Judiciary Spokesperson stated that the current verdict was issued in the primary court and the sentence is subject to appeal.

Eje’i provided no further details about the charges against this individual, but said: “If the verdict becomes final, my colleagues and I will provide more explanation regarding the actions this person intended to carry out.” Eje’i did not mention the name of the convicted individual.

Mizan News Agency, affiliated with the Judiciary, reported that this individual is a U.S. citizen but was born in China (Beijing). According to the Mizan website, this individual entered Iran “under the cover of a graduate student researcher.”

The Mizan website identified the American citizen as “Zi Yu Wang” and stated that he holds dual American and Chinese citizenship. The report states: “Wang has studied in various fields including Eurasia, Islam and nationalism, Russia, Middle Eastern history, and international studies, but his main area of study is Iran studies and he is also fluent in Persian.”

According to Iranian judicial sources, this individual was “directly” “instructed” by America, and his task was “collecting documents.”

After the news became public, the U.S. government quickly protested the arrest and trial of its citizen on Sunday (July 16). The French news agency reported from the U.S. State Department that “the espionage charge against this individual is fabricated.” American officials denied sending any “infiltration agent” to Iran. The U.S. State Department has called for the release of its citizen.

From “Spies” to Dual Citizen Administrators

According to reports, although the convicted individual did not hold Iranian citizenship, the Iranian Judiciary generally, in dealing with individuals who hold dual citizenship, has used Iranian citizenship as the criterion and does not accept intervention by the second country. To date, several people holding dual citizenship have been convicted on various charges and imprisoned.

Nazanin Zaghari, an Iranian-British citizen, was arrested in March 2016 on charges of “violating national security” and subsequently sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Mohammad Baqer and Siamak Namazi (father and son), who hold Iranian and American citizenship, were also each sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on charges of “espionage for America.”

Hardline groups in Iran are also strongly opposed to the presence of dual citizens in government administration. However, according to Article 982 of Iran’s Civil Code, holding positions such as President and his deputies, membership in the Guardian Council and heading the Judiciary, the Ministry and ministerial sponsorship and governorship and governorate positions, Parliament representation, membership in provincial, city, and municipal councils, employment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, judgeship, command ranks in the Army and Revolutionary Guards and police forces, and senior security and intelligence positions are prohibited for individuals holding foreign citizenship.

Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Prosecutor General, during a dispute between the government and the Judiciary over dual citizenship status in March 2017, announced that at least 16 government administrators hold dual citizenship and called for their dismissal from state positions.

Montazeri had said: “People who are dual citizens usually hide the existence of their second citizenship, and it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Intelligence to discover this matter through technical investigations.”

However, the Iranian government claims that some administrators only have residence in a foreign country and do not technically constitute dual citizens in the strict legal sense.

Source: DW