Former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati says he feels humbled and lucky to be free again, after being one of four Americans released by Iran as part of a prisoner swap.
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Meanwhile, former Marine Amir Hekmati, one of the three just-released Americans, was thankful to be coming home.
A beaming Rezaian appeared briefly with his immediate family in front of reporters outside the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl but spoke little and instead released a written statement.
“So up until the last second we were all anxious and concerned”, he said.
As for his treatment in prison, he said, “Well, it wasn’t good”. “Even the other Iranian prisoners were moved”.
Eventually, McGurk reached Mary Rezaian by phone and told her to stay put.
Rezaian, accompanied by his mother and his wife, and two other Americans were flown by Swiss plane to Geneva. Ted Cruz praised God, said the exchange set a bad precedent, and inaccurately described the released Iranians as “terrorists”. “It was the culmination point of a long time”.
And in the same weekend when a crucial agreement to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb went forward, it marked another small step for diplomacy between two nations frozen in mutual antagonism for most of the past 40 years.
Abedini, a naturalised United States citizen of Iranian origin, arrived at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, a Christian conference centre in Asheville, North Carolina, that is linked to popular evangelist Billy Graham.
Their meeting was captured in a photograph released by the State Department, which at the time raised eyebrows because McGurk’s connection to Iran was secret.
“I hear there’s going to be a big party”, the editors quoted him as saying. “We don’t make that judgment”. U.S. Diplomat Brett McGurk negotiated the prisoners’ release over 14 months of secret talks.
But the Iranian government says they don’t know where he is and that they are prepared to help in his search. Convicted by an Iranian court of spying and sentenced to death in 2012, he was later given a 10-year sentence on a lesser charge after a retrial.
“That alone is psychological manipulation at the very least”, McGurk said.
“I reiterate the need to be vigilant about the deceit and treachery of arrogant countries, especially the United States, in this (nuclear) issue and other issues”, Khamenei said, according to Iranian news agencies.
Iran has agreed to cooperate in that effort, he added.
Hekmati has seen his sister and brother-in-law and said he hopes to return home soon to be reunited with the rest of his family.
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“We have to pursue justice in any way we can find it. …”
