Amir Hekmati Transferred to Hospital for Treatment

Reports indicate that Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, an Iranian-American citizen, has been transferred from prison to a hospital in Tehran for treatment. According to the American newspaper 'New York Times', Amir Hekmati's family stated that he has been receiving treatment at a hospital outside of Evin Prison in recent weeks. The news of Hekmati's transfer for treatment comes as the Iran nuclear agreement with six world powers is set to be implemented on Saturday. In this context, Dan Kildee, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, mentioned in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America that Washington is negotiating with Iran regarding the situation of Hekmati and other Iranian-American prisoners in Iran during recent talks. The New York Times reported that Amir Hekmati, 32, was transferred to a hospital in Tehran for examination and treatment of lumps on his face and neck. The statement added that despite ongoing efforts by doctors to determine the cause of Hekmati's illness, it appears that his condition is improving. Hekmati's family expressed happiness that judicial authorities have allowed him to temporarily leave prison. This is the first time since his arrest over four years ago that he has been able to leave prison. Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabai, Hekmati's lawyer, claimed on January 9 that the U.S. government, through its interests section in Iran, requested a 'swap' of this Iranian-American citizen imprisoned in Iran for another prisoner. Alizadeh stated in an interview with Tasnim News Agency that 'no response has yet been provided regarding this proposal to the U.S. interests section in Iran.' Meanwhile, Marie Harf, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, denied Alizadeh's statements, saying that Washington is seeking the release of Hekmati and other imprisoned Iranian-Americans. Alizadeh also mentioned that his client is eligible for parole under the law, stating that Hekmati has served more than half of his sentence, and that one can apply for parole after serving one-third of their sentence. He noted that a request for parole has been submitted and they are awaiting a response from the prosecutor's office in this regard. Amir Hekmati was arrested in August 2011 while visiting Iran to see his grandmother and was sentenced to death on charges of 'spying for a hostile government.' However, the appeals court reduced this sentence to ten years in prison. The U.S. has denied the espionage allegations against Hekmati. Hekmati had previously served in the U.S. Army. In addition to Amir Hekmati, three other Iranian-American citizens are imprisoned in Iran: Jason Rezaian, 39, a Washington Post reporter in Tehran; Saeed Abedini, a 35-year-old pastor; and Siamak Namazi, a consultant and business expert who has worked in the oil industry for several years.