Iran Releases American Prisoners, GOP Is Still Unhappy

The release is part of a prisoner swap, Iranian state media says: The four dual-national prisoners will be exchanged with seven Iranians now imprisoned in the U.S, according to IRNA.

Of course, earlier this week, we also had the swift release of those U.S. Navy sailors who’d been detained in Iranian waters. Some U.S. sanctions will remain in effect. “I call them the ‘hostages.’ Our four people”, Trump recalled as he spoke at the South Carolina Tea Party Coalition Convention.

The seven Iranian detainees in USA were named by Iran’s state news agency as Nader Modanlo, Bahram Mechanic, Khosrow Afghani, Arash Ghahreman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Saboun. U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, communicates from aboard his plane Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, on his way to Vienna, Austria on what is expected to be “implementation day”, the day the International Atomic Energy…

Rouhani said through an interpreter that anytime something can be done to help someone in prison, “nothing would make me happier”.

The announcement of the exchange came shortly before Iran was certified as having met all commitments under the nuclear deal with six world powers.

“The fact that they can get away with this administration, is one of the reasons it’s created an incentive for more governments to do this around the world”. A convert from Islam to Christianity, he gained USA citizenship through his marriage in 2010 to his wife Nagmeh, and he traveled often between the countries.

In 2012 Hekmati was tried and sentenced to death; this was overturned by a higher court, but in 2013 Hekmati got a 10-year jail sentence on grounds he had spied for hostile governments. It continues to hold at least one American, businessman Siamak Namazi; another, former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Robert Levinson, remains missing. In addition to the seven Iranians, the U.S.is dropping its efforts to extradite 14 other Iranians believed to be overseas, though the USA says they didn’t really think there was much chance that those folks were going to wind up in US custody anyway.

He was quoted as saying “Today with the release of the IAEA chief’s report the nuclear deal will be implemented, after which a joint statement will be made to announce the beginning of the deal”.

His arrest came three years after he had been arrested by Iranian authorities and later released after agreeing to stop organizing churches in homes. The family suspects Levinson is being held in Iran despite Tehran’s claims to the contrary.

In a statement in Tehran, Prosecutor Abbas Jaafari said that “based on an approval of the Supreme National Security Council and the general interests of the Islamic Republic, four Iranian prisoners with dual nationality were freed today within the framework of a prisoner swap deal”, the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported.

Not even a half hour later, the State Department called to confirm the news; her husband had finally been released.

“It proves once again now that nations and enemies of America around the world know there’s a price for Americans”, Rubio said in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” scheduled to air Sunday.

The U.S. officials described the released Iranians as convicts or suspects in sanctions violations – offenses that Iran’s government has never recognized as legitimate. Iranian officials had repeatedly denied any knowledge of his disappearance or whereabouts.

Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens, who worked in Iran with Mr Rezaian, said: ‘The charges against him were always absurd and his long-overdue release will be a great joy to his family and many friends’.

Abedini, 35, a pastor from Boise, Idaho, was arrested and accused of Christian proselytizing in 2012. American officials didn’t want the citizens used as leverage in the nuclear talks, and didn’t want to lose their possible release if the talks failed to produce an agreement. “So they must be freed”.