Mike Pompeo calls for immediate release of dual nationals imprisoned in Iran

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for the immediate release of Siamak Namazi, his father Baqer Namazi, and environmental activist Morad Tahbaz in a tweet.

Mr. Pompeo wrote in this tweet: “American citizen Siamak Namazi celebrated his 49th birthday in the infamous Evin Prison. Yesterday marked 1,800 days since the Iranian regime detained him on false charges.”

The US Secretary of State continued: "Baqer [Namazi], Siamak [Namazi]'s father, as well as Morad Tahbaz, are innocent victims. Iran must release them immediately."

Siamak Namazi, an Iranian-American citizen and manager of an oil trading company, was arrested in Iran in October 2015 on charges of espionage and "collaborating with the US government" and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Mohammad Baqer Namazi, the 84-year-old father of Siamak Namazi, who had traveled to Iran to follow up on his son's condition, was also arrested in March 2015 and has also been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Mohammad Baqer Namazi was the governor of Khurestan during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and later worked as a UNICEF representative.

In July of this year, Siamak Namazi wrote a letter to the head of the judiciary, insisting on his innocence and requesting a review of his case. In the letter, Mr. Namazi said that he had been locked in a room for a year before his trial and had only been able to meet with his lawyer once for 20 minutes, and that he had been denied the right to speak or consult with his lawyer in court.

Iranian environmental activist Morad Tahbaz holds US and British citizenship and has also been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Islamic Republic.

Mr. Tahbaz was arrested in February 2017 along with several other environmental activists, and the Islamic Republic's security and judicial authorities declared them guilty of "espionage."

The United States Department of State has repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic's regime's arbitrary and unjustified detention of American and other citizens, including dual-national Iranians, and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

Western analysts have repeatedly said that the Islamic Republic uses dual nationals as hostages to extract money and privileges from Western governments.

Source: Voice of America