An Iranian-American businessman imprisoned in Tehran for nearly a decade is on temporary leave, His lawyer said on Saturday,
Siamak Namazi visited Iran in 2015 and was stopped when he tried to leave, then placed under months of interrogation before being arrested that October on charges of “cooperating with a hostile government”. was.
His father, Bakar Namazi, now 85, was lured to Iran in February 2016 under the false premise that he would be able to see his son, only to be arrested on the same charge and sentenced to 10 years in prison. .
The older man, who was released in 2018 due to medical problems but was not allowed to leave the country, is now required urgent surgery His family said, “to remove life-threatening blockages in his left internal carotid artery,” and is being allowed to leave the country for treatment.
The US government has said that the allegations against the father and son are completely baseless.
“I am thrilled for the Namazi family that Siamak Namazi is sleeping at home with his family for the first time in seven years,” said family lawyer Jared Jenser.
It is unclear whether Siamak, who is receiving a week’s renewable leave, will be able to stay out of jail indefinitely, but the family is optimistic.
“It’s an important first step, but of course, we won’t rest until the whole family is back in the United States and their long nightmare is finally over,” Jenser said.
post with wires