An Iranian nuclear scientist who defected to the United States in 2009 only to return to his country the next year has been executed in Iran for giving “vital information to the enemy”, the Iranian judiciary announced Sunday.
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Shahram Amiri had been convicted of spying for the United States and was executed after the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, Iranian chief prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei told state media.
But Amiri later fled the country without the money, and was welcomed home as a hero by Iranian officials, who touted his claim that U.S. agents had kidnapped him while he was visiting holy sites in Saudi Arabia.
The family of Shahram Amiri, an expert in radioactive isotopes at Tehran’s Malek Ashtar University, which is affiliated to Iran’s ministry of defence, told two overseas Persian-language TV networks at the weekend that he had been executed earlier in the week at an unknown location. When months went by without news of Amiri, Iranian officials accused the United States of abducting him, though the State Department claimed it “had to information” about the scientist.
Analysts overseas suggested Iranian authorities may have threatened Amiri’s family back in Iran, forcing him to return.
A US official said in 2010 that the USA received “useful information” from Amiri.
Iran, the United States and five other world powers reached a landmark deal previous year, under which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in such a way as to ensure it can not develop nuclear weapons in exchange for a lifting of economic sanctions.
It curbs Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for a lifting of economic sanctions.
A few months after Amiri’s disappearance, Iran’s then foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki accused the USA of abducting the scientist.
The emails also appear to offer insight into the department’s plans to get Amiri back to Iran safely. Senior advisor Jake Sullivan sent Clinton an email about Amiri hours before the scientist appeared at the Embassy: “The gentleman.has apparently gone to his country’s interests section because he is unhappy with how much time it has taken to facilitate his departure”. In one, he claimed he’d been kidnapped by the Central Intelligence Agency during his pilgrimage and was being held in Tucson, Arizona, where he has been subject to torture and psychological pressure.
“Per the subject we discussed, we have a diplomatic, “psychological” issue, not a legal issue”. “The Iranian High Court reviewed this decision with extreme care given the allegations of espionage”, he said.
“Our person won’t be able to do anything anyway”.
Iran detained Amiri in 2010, a year after he went missing during a pilgrimage to Mecca.
The spokesman dispelled a “rumour” by Amiri’s family that he had received a 10-year prison term.
Iran traced the business and whereabouts of Amiri that led to his arrest and execution.
The senator said this lapse proves she is not capable of keeping the country safe.
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But when he touched down in Iran, Amiri told a version of the events that were in stark contrast with that of USA officials. The AP news agency reported that the videos gave contradictory information about why he was in America.
