Amir Hekmati arrives in Flint after more than 4 years in Iran

He was released over the weekend with four other Americans in exchange for the U.S. releasing seven Iranians either convicted or awaiting trial in the U.S. The U.S. also removed Interpol red notices and dismissed charges against 14 other Iranians overseas who a U.S. official said were unlikely to be extradited to the U.S.

“I appreciate everyone’s support”, Hekmati said to a throng of assembled media at his arrival. Hekmati, a naturalized US citizen of Iranian origin, had been detained in August 2011 while visiting family in Iran. “Unfortunately, many people have travelled this road with me”, he told reporters.

Hekmati was born in Arizona and raised in MI. “It’s been a very long road, a very long journey”.

He was sentenced to death the following year, but that was downgraded to a 10-year prison term.

“It’s great to be back in Flint”.

Hekmati said on Thursday he was “healthy, tall and with my head held high”. I love this city.

The 32-year-old Hekmati had been at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany since his release over the weekend. He recounted Tuesday how disbelief turned to joy when he and three fellow Americans realized they were being freed. I love its people.

He said: ‘I was anxious that maybe the Iranian side was going to make new demands at the last minute or that the deal wasn’t going to work out, so up until the last second we were all anxious and concerned’.

In the post, Naghmen Abedini said her husband “will spend a few days with his parents and then the kids and I will join him on Monday”.

Abedini was sentenced in 2013 to eight years in prison after being accused of harming Iran’s national security by setting up home-based churches in Iran.

He was set free with Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, Christian minister Saeed Abedini and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari.

But Mitchell didn’t want to get too political during their conversation amidst what he described as a happy moment with Hekmati coming back to Flint with his family.

He thanked “everyday Americans”, President Obama and U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., for their support. Rezaian was arrested in 2014 on charges including espionage, his attorney said.

A former U.S. Marine recently released from an Iranian prison in a prisoner-swap deal is returning to MI.