US-Iranian arrested in Tehran gets 18-yr term

Dubai, (UAE), Oct. 25: An Iranian-American held in Tehran has reportedly been sentenced to 18 years in prison for “collaboration with a hostile government,” yet another dual national convicted in a secret trial since Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

The sentence handed down to Robin Shahini, a 46-year-old graduate student who lives in San Diego, is the harshest yet for those detained in what analysts believe is hardliner plan to use them as bargaining chips in future negotiations.

Shahini told Vice News in an interview aired late on Monday that he “just laughed” after hearing his sentence.

He acknowledged supporting the protests that followed Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election, but denied being involved in any sort of spying. “Whatever information they had is all the pictures I posted in Facebook, in my web blog, and they use all those evidence to accuse me,” Shahini said in a telephone call from prison.

Iranian judiciary officials did not respond to request for comment from the Associated Press on Tuesday, nor did Iran’s mission to the United Nations.

In a statement, the US state department said it was troubled by reports of Shahini’s sentence.

“We reaffirm our calls on Iran to respect and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, cease arbitrary and politically motivated detentions and ensure fair and transparent judicial proceedings,” it said.

Shahini, who traveled to Iran to see his mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, was detained on July 11. He left Iran in 1998 and has lived in San Diego for 16 years.