Tehran ‘frees’ American

Now out for 1 week

Siamak Namazi, an Iranian American imprisoned in Iran for nearly seven years on espionage-related charges rejected by Washington as baseless, has been allowed out of Tehran’s Evin prison on a oneweek furlough, his lawyer said Saturday.

Separately, his father and former UN official Baquer Namazi, who was also convicted on charges of “collaboration with a hostile government,” has been allowed to leave Iran for medical treatment, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

It was unclear if the moves might be a step toward Siamak’s full release, or whether they signal the possible furlough or release of other US citizens detained in Iran.

Iran’s Nournews said an unidentified regional nation had mediated between Tehran and Washington for the “simultaneous release of prisoners.”

The semi-official news agency also reported that “billions of dollars of Iran’s frozen assets because of the US sanctions will be released soon.”

However, the White House denied this.

“Reports from Iranian sources of a transfer of funds related to the release of Baquer Namazi and furlough of Siamak Namazi are categorically false,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said Sunday.

Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the department was grateful that Siamak Namazi was granted a humanitarian furlough to be with his father.

It was unclear what motivated Tehran’s decisions on both men.

The US has described the charges against both men as baseless.

“I am thrilled for the Namazi family that for the first time in seven years Siamak Namazi is sleeping at home with his family,” said the family’s lawyer, Jared Genser. “This is a critical first step, but of course we will not rest until the entire family is able to return to the United States and their long nightmare is finally over.”

Iranian Americans, whose US citizenship is not recognized by Tehran, are often pawns between the two nations.