Nauert: We demand the release of all Americans imprisoned in Iran
The US State Department spokesperson welcomed Baqir Namazi's release , while also saying that the United States calls for the immediate and complete release of all Americans who have been "unjustly" imprisoned by the Iranian government.
Jared Genser, the American lawyer for Baqer and Siamak Namazi, announced on February 28 that, due to concerns about the health of Baqer Namazi, Siamak Namazi's 81-year-old father, a four-day leave of absence had been approved.
Mr. Namazi, an Iranian-American citizen, traveled to Iran to visit his imprisoned son, Siamak Namazi, and was himself taken to prison. He had recently been hospitalized for blood pressure and heart rate problems.
US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, in response to the statements of Mr. Namazi's lawyer, wrote on Twitter: "We welcome the release of Baqir Namazi, given his deteriorating health, but it should be noted that this is only a temporary release."
Ms. Nauert added that the US government “demands the immediate and full release of the Namazi family, including [Baqer Namazi’s] son Siamak, as well as other Americans unjustly detained by the Iranian government.”
Baqer Namazi is a former employee of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). After his son was arrested in Iran, he went to Tehran two years ago, where he was also arrested. The Iranian judiciary accused both of collaborating with "hostile foreign governments" and sentenced them to 10 years in prison.
Accusations that the Namazi family's lawyer has denied. In addition, according to a number of analysts and observers of Iran issues, the Islamic Republic is using the detention of dual citizens as a tool for "bargaining" with a number of Western countries. Tehran denies this and says that the country's judiciary decides on charges and convictions "independently."
However, similar speculation has continued following the release of a number of Iranian-American citizens on the eve of the start of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
There have also been recent reports of talks between Iranian and British officials to repay an old debt Tehran owed to London, raising speculation about the possibility of Nazanin Zaghari's release if this repayment is finalized.
In addition to the Namazis, several other American citizens are in Iranian prisons, including Xiao Wang, a doctoral student at Princeton University, who was also sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of “collaborating with a foreign government.” Karen Vafadari and her husband, Afarin Niasari, and Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese citizen with permanent residency in the United States, are also imprisoned in Iran on other charges.
Source: Radio Farda
