Iran upholds jail terms for US nationals and resident
TEHERAN: The Iranian judiciary upheld 10-year jail terms for an American, two US-Iranian dual nationals and a Lebanese permanent resident of the United States for “collaborating” with Washington.
In a ruling that comes at a time of rising tensions following President Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House in January, the Teheran prosecutor’s office on Sunday said the four’s appeals had been rejected.
Xiyue Wang, a Chinese-born American, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for “collaborating with foreign governments”, said Teheran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, quoted by the mizan online website close to the judiciary.
He said the same sentence was upheld against two dual nationals for “collaborating with a foreign government”, and Lebanese national Nizar Zakka, a US permanent resident, for working with the American government. The dual nationals, businessman Siamak Namazi and his father Mohammad Bagher Namazi, were convicted in October 2016, along with Nizar and three others on charges of “spying” for Washington.
The State Department in July called on Iran to immediately release US citizens and other foreigners detained on “fabricated” national security charges, as Iran announced that Wang, a Princeton University researcher, had been handed a 10-year sentence for “infiltration” and espionage.
“We call for the immediate release of all US citizens unjustly detained in Iran so they can return to their families,” a State Department official said.
“The safety and security of US citizens remains a top priority. All US citizens, especially dual nationals considering travel to Iran, should carefully read our latest travel warning.”