Baqer Namazi on Father's Day: Bring Home the Dual Nationals Imprisoned in Iran

Baqer Namazi, the father of Siamak Namazi, an Iranian-American dual national imprisoned in Iran, called for practical action for his son's release from the Islamic Republic's prison in a video message on Sunday. On Father's Day, Baqer Namazi expressed that he is spending this day without his son Siamak by his side. In a tweet, he stated: 'Enough is enough. My anger is deep, and my sorrow is profound; I need action instead of words.' He addressed the officials of the Islamic Republic, saying: 'To those dark forces holding our loved ones, I say: your day of reckoning will come soon.' He mentioned Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, and Emad Sharqi as individuals who are being held solely because of their American citizenship. In his message, he urged U.S. President Joe Biden to take 'necessary actions to bring them home.' Observers of Iranian affairs say that the Islamic Republic aims to use the detention of citizens from other countries, especially dual nationals, as leverage in its negotiations with other nations, effectively holding them hostage with false accusations. The Islamic Republic also detained Baqer Namazi, a retired UNICEF official, in 2016 while he was trying to visit his son, and both father and son were convicted of 'collaborating with a hostile government.' The elderly Baqer Namazi, who requires medical treatment, was allowed to leave Iran in October 2022. Previously, many Western countries, including U.S. officials, have repeatedly warned dual nationals that traveling to Iran is risky due to the actions of the Islamic Republic and have advised them not to endanger themselves by traveling to Iran, even for family visits. The U.S. government has emphasized that securing the release of detained Americans in other countries, including Iran, is one of its top priorities. A U.S. official stated on Friday that 'we have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens abroad. Iran must release the American citizens it has unjustly detained. The continued detention of American citizens by them is unacceptable, and we will continue our diligent efforts to bring back any American who has been unjustly detained.' Baqer Namazi's request to Joe Biden remains unanswered; reports indicate Siamak Namazi spoke to CNN from prison, saying, 'I ask Biden to hear our voices.' Siamak Namazi ended a week-long hunger strike, expressing feelings of hope and vitality. Negotiations between the United States and the Islamic Republic are ongoing for a prisoner exchange. The spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry claimed that the U.S. is 'instrumentalizing Iranian prisoners.' Price stated that the U.S. and its allies want to eradicate 'political hostage-taking' from the world. The U.S. Senate is seeking to pass legislation to support Americans imprisoned in other countries. The daughter of Morad Tahbaz, an environmental activist imprisoned in Iran, stated that her father has cancer. A rally was held in Paris calling for the release of French citizens imprisoned in Iran. Families of detained Americans abroad have once again requested a meeting with Biden. The lawyer for Siamak Namazi and the wife of Shahab Deli stated that the claim of 'releasing dual nationals' is unfounded.