The announced implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal on Saturday came with an important bonus: Tehran’s release of four USA citizens it had imprisoned, including The Post’s Jason Rezaian. The Post and the US government have denied the accusations, as has Rezaian.
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Huffman said he expected Rezaian and his mother to be on a plane out of Iran Saturday night, and that they would be taken to a US military base in Germany, where Rezaian would receive medical care.
Rezaian’s wife and mother were expected to be on the plane.
Trevithick has left Iran, administration officials said in a Saturday evening (January 16) conference call. There were no additional details.
The release of the prisoners and the nuclear deal developments cap weeks of intense U.S.-Iran diplomacy that took several unexpected turns after an Iranian ballistic missile test in October and then the detention on January 12 by Iran of 10 U.S. Navy sailors and their two boats in the Persian Gulf. “We don’t make that judgment”. As well, a fifth American was freed separately.
A statement from a senior administration official did not name specific prisoners and provided only sparse details. “We have no further information to share at this time and would ask everyone respect the privacy of these individuals and their families”, the official told CNN.
Jason Rezaian, a reporter with The Washington Post, has been detained since July 2014 when Iranian security forces raided his home and seized his wife and him.
“We look forward to the joyous occasion of welcoming him back to the Washington Post newsroom”, publisher Frederick Ryan Jr. said in a statement. They say his arrest and incarceration were “devastating” to his friends and family and that he’s grateful for his release.
He added, “After almost a year and a half of arbitrary delays, and an unfair, opaque judicial process, Jason’s release has brought indescribable relief and joy to our family – this nightmare is approaching an end”.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other officials involved in the accord met in Vienna as the diplomatic achievement unfolded.
But in the absence of a firmer USA policy, Iran’s attacks on Americans and vital US interests will surely continue.
Rezaian, who has covered Iran for the Post since 2012, grew up in Marin County, California, and spent most of his life in the United States. The Iranians originally sought 19 individuals as part of the exchange; US officials whittled down the number to seven. But Zarif warned that the new penalties could kill the prisoner exchange.
Although many in Iran welcomed the deal, not everyone was enthused about the agreement, which limits Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
Rezaian’s brother Ali said he had no immediate confirmation of the news. As a result, some global economic sanctions against Iran were lifted.
The deal comes after more than a year of secret negotiations, the officials said.
Two congressmen were headed to Germany to greet Rezaian and Hekmati.
The exchange also didn’t cover Siamak Namazi, an Iranian-American businessman who advocated better ties between Iran and the U.S. He was reportedly arrested in October.
The American Center for Law and Justice, a Washington-based group dedicated to protecting religious and constitutional freedoms, reported that Abedini has endured torture during his imprisonment and was beaten by fellow prisoners in June.
The newspaper and the United States have called the charges “absurd”.
Four of the five detainees were still in the country because “logistical steps” were still ongoing, an official said. “At this point, we are hoping and praying for Amir’s long-awaited return”, the statement read.
He says their support gave Jason’s family the strength to keep fighting for his release.
Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran in 2007 while working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence mission, wasn’t part of the deal. The Iranians have always denied knowing his location.
“We are happy for the other families”, Levinson’s family said in a statement. “But once again, Bob Levinson has been left behind”.
In return, the U.S.is pardoning or commuting the sentences of an Iranian and six dual citizens. They were accused of exporting goods ranging from electronic components and satellite services to marine navigation and military equipment to Iran. FARS identified the fourth prisoner freed as Nosratollah Khosrawi.
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The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) named the other three men as Nader Madanloo, Arash Ghahreman and Nima Golestaneh.
