Jason Rezaian and Saeed Abedini Released
According to reports from the Farsi-speaking Christian News Network and citing the Farsi News Agency’s judiciary correspondent, moments before and after the release order for four dual-national prisoners was issued, Jason Rezaian and Saeed Abedini (Iranian priest) were released from prison.
An hour earlier, the Tehran prosecutor announced the release of four dual-national prisoners.
This comes as there are indications that Amir Mirza Hekmati, who was arrested in Iran on espionage charges, may also be among those released.
According to the Iran Judiciary News Agency citing the Tehran prosecutor, four dual-national prisoners in Iran have been released.
Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, stated: “In accordance with the resolutions of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and in the interest of the system, four Iranian dual-national prisoners were released today as part of a prisoner exchange.”
According to Iranian state television, Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American journalist who had been imprisoned in Iran for more than a year, is among those released.
The Farsi News Agency reported that in addition to Mr. Rezaian, Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-American priest, is also among those released.
The Washington Post, in response to the news of its journalist Jason Rezaian’s release, stated it hopes the news is accurate, but has not yet received official confirmation on the matter.
The defense lawyer of Amir Mirza Hekmati, another Iranian-American citizen imprisoned on espionage charges, told the Tasnim News Agency: “This morning my client called and said that the judiciary summoned him.”
Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati, Jason Rezaian, and Siamak Namazi are four Iranian-Americans who have been imprisoned in Iran.
The news of the release of four dual-national prisoners comes as it is expected that within hours the implementation phase of Iran’s nuclear agreement in Vienna will be announced with the presence of Iran’s and America’s foreign ministers.
Kasri Nazi, BBC correspondent sent to Vienna, says twelve Iranians are imprisoned in America on charges of “circumventing sanctions” and it has been reported that seven of them are to be released, although this news has not yet been confirmed.
Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed, explicitly or implicitly, their willingness to exchange Mr. Rezaian and other Americans imprisoned in Iran with Iranians imprisoned in America who are held in connection with violations of this country’s sanctions.
