Under the prisoner swap deal, the United States on January 16 offered clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom are dual U.S.-Iranian citizens, who had been convicted or are awaiting trial in the United States.
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The group arrived in Geneva aboard a Swiss air force plane, touching down at around 1700 GMT before departing for Germany shortly after.
The three were scheduled to be transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a USA military hospital, after arriving.
Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter detained in Iran since July 2014, was due to be freed by the Iranian government on Saturday, along with three other Americans.
The editors of The Washington Post say reporter Jason Rezaian is in “good spirits” following his release by Iran.
The family of former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati released a statement on Twitter that read, in part: “Today, our brother, son and friend Amir Hekmati has been released from Iran”.
American prisoners have been released from Iranian detention under a prisoner swap agreement between Tehran and Washington. He chose not to board the same flight as his three comrades and has not left Tehran, according to senior USA officials.
Abedini, who converted from Islam to Christianity, had traveled to Iran in 2012 on a mission to build an orphanage.
In return, the USA agreed to pardon or drop charges against seven Iranians accused or convicted of violating American sanctions.
Kerry said he would remain at work on other Americans still being held in Iran.
“We kept thinking the most hard time for him would be thinking by himself, off in his solitary cell that his country had forgotten about him and it hadn’t but that’s what he was being told by his jail keepers, that the USA had forgotten about him”, said Kildee. I should talk with Saeed in just a few hours!
The senator said the decision of the Obama administration to exchange Cuban prisoners for the release of American Alan Gross, and the decision to release Taliban prisoners in exchange for soldier Bowe Bergdahl, were encouragement for people to take Americans hostage as prisoners.
The men allegedly had been involved in exporting products and services to Iran in violation of trade sanctions against the country.
The fourth prisoner released as part of the exchange, Nosratollah Khosravi, remains a mystery, and his whereabouts are unknown.
Washington Post publisher Frederick Ryan said in a statement: “We are relieved that this 545-day nightmare for Jason and his family is finally over”. “Our family needs to be whole again”.
Attorneys for some of the released prisoners confirmed their identities: Bahram Mechanich and Tooraj Faridi of Houston; Khosrow Afghahi of Los Angeles; Ali Saboonchi of Parkville, Maryland; and Arash Ghahreman of Staten Island, New York.
One Iranian news agency, Fars, named those released as Rezaian, Hekmati and Abedini. His release was part of an extraordinary weekend of diplomacy that saw the release of five Americans and the lifting of billions in worldwide sanctions on Iran as part of a nuclear accord.
US President Barack Obama has promised to find the missing former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, Robert Levinson, and return him to his family.
Iraq has welcomed the implementation of a historic nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, saying it will have a positive impact across the Middle East.
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He says “now is the moment to push the cooperation on other pressing challenges through dialogue, which should continue to guide the way toward a safer future”.
