Five Iranian-American Prisoners Transferred from Evin Prison to Hotel

Jared Genser, attorney for Siamak Namazi, an American citizen imprisoned in Iran, and CNN reported on Thursday that four imprisoned American citizens have been transferred to a hotel in Tehran. According to Mr. Genser, these individuals will be held at the hotel for several weeks until permission is granted for their departure from Iran. The White House announced that the number of Iranian-American prisoners in the custody of the Islamic Republic who have been moved to a hotel is five, and welcomed this action. Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharqi, and Morad Tahbaz are the identities of three of these four American prisoners. The identity of the fourth or fifth American prisoner transferred to the hotel is still unknown. Mr. Genser expressed hope that the transfer of these American citizens would pave the way for their eventual freedom and return to the United States, emphasizing that there are no guarantees about what will happen. Jared Genser also quoted the transferred prisoners as saying that the hotel will be under the supervision of Iranian officials, although he did not mention the name of the hotel. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported the transfer of five American citizens to a hotel. The newspaper cited informed sources stating that the Biden administration has agreed to the release of several prisoners convicted of circumventing U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic. These sources told The New York Times that the Biden administration has also agreed to transfer nearly six billion dollars of Iran's blocked assets in South Korea to an account at the Central Bank of Qatar. This account will be under the control of the Qatari government, and Iran can use it for humanitarian purposes such as medicine and food. The Namazi family confirmed the transfer of three prisoners to the hotel. Siamak Namazi's family recently managed to confirm through a direct video call that Iranian-American prisoners; Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharqi, and Morad Tahbaz have been released from Evin Prison and are on their way to house arrest. They were informed early Thursday morning that these three, along with a fourth unidentified American hostage, had been taken together to the prison office. There, the four prisoners were officially informed that they would be released from Evin Prison and transferred to house arrest, and then they formally agreed to this transfer in writing. The families of the four American hostages had previously been informed by the Biden administration on Wednesday afternoon that the four were expected to be transferred to house arrest. Although the fourth American prisoner was not directly seen leaving Evin Prison, given their joint presence in the prison office, it is believed that he was transferred along with the other three, although this has not yet been confirmed. Meanwhile, it appears that the fifth American, who is an unidentified woman whose detention has recently become public, is currently under house arrest. In response to these developments, Babak Namazi, Siamak Namazi's brother, stated: 'We are grateful that Siamak and other Americans in Iran have been released from Evin Prison and are under house arrest.' He added: 'Although this is a positive development, we will not stop our efforts until Siamak and the others return home. We continue to count the days until this happens.' Mr. Namazi noted: 'We have endured a horrific and indescribable suffering for eight years, and we hope to be together as a family again.' A look at the status of some Iranian-American dual nationals: Emad Sharqi: He was imprisoned in Evin Prison on May 3, 2018, on charges of 'espionage and undermining national security.' This Iranian-American businessman and investor was acquitted and released after eight months but was arrested again and sentenced to ten years in prison. In May of this year, coinciding with the fifth year of Emad Sharqi's imprisonment, senior American officials, including Robert Malley, former special representative for Iran; Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Senator Jim Risch, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, called for the immediate release of this Iranian-American dual citizen. Emad Sharqi's wife and two daughters have repeatedly requested to meet with Joe Biden in recent months. The Sharqi family, along with the families of other Iranian-American citizens imprisoned by the Islamic Republic, gathered in front of the White House on May 2 of this year, urging the U.S. President to prioritize the release of their loved ones from captivity in the Islamic Republic. Neda Sharqi, Emad Sharqi's sister, who was present at this gathering, announced in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America the establishment of a campaign called 'Bring Our Family Home.' She said: 'We plan to introduce Iranian-American hostages imprisoned in the Islamic Republic's prisons to the American people and media with the help of several released American hostages and to try to meet with President Biden.' Siamak Namazi: This Iranian-American businessman was arrested by the security forces of the Islamic Republic on October 13, 2015. Baqer Namazi, Siamak Namazi's father, was also arrested on December 24 of that year upon entering Iran to visit his son. Siamak and Baqer were sentenced to ten years in prison on charges such as cooperating with a foreign government on October 18, 2016. Baqer Namazi, who was 79 years old at the time of his arrest, was allowed to leave Iran last October at the age of 85 after six and a half years of imprisonment. Siamak, now 52 years old and having spent more time in prison than any other Iranian-American citizen, went on a hunger strike for a week last winter to mark the seventh anniversary of his imprisonment in Iran. After breaking his hunger strike, he called on U.S. President Joe Biden in an interview with CNN to hear his voice and that of other Iranian-American prisoners. Morad Tahbaz: This 67-year-old Iranian-American businessman and environmental activist, who also holds British citizenship, was arrested in February 2018. Mr. Tahbaz was sentenced to ten years in prison in February 2019 on charges such as cooperating with the U.S. Along with the release of Nazanin Zaghari and Anooshah Ashouri in March 2022, Morad Tahbaz was temporarily released for 48 hours and then returned to prison. Tara Tahbaz, Morad Tahbaz's daughter, told Reuters earlier this month that her father has prostate cancer and has contracted COVID-19 three times in prison. Roxana Tahbaz, another daughter of Morad Tahbaz, also stated in an interview with The Guardian last year that the British Foreign Office has forgotten her father and family. Shahab Dalili: This Iranian citizen with permanent residency in the U.S. has been imprisoned in Iran since 2016 when he returned to Iran for his father's funeral. Mr. Dalili's wife, in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America last year, stated that Shahab was sentenced to ten years in prison on charges such as cooperating with foreign governments. In this interview, she explained her long silence regarding Mr. Dalili's imprisonment, saying she hoped that by doing so, she could help change his sentence or reduce his conviction. 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 countries, effectively taking them hostage with false charges. Many Western countries, including U.S. officials, have repeatedly warned dual citizens that, given the actions of the Islamic Republic, traveling to Iran is risky and have urged them not to endanger themselves by traveling to Iran, even for family visits. Claims by the newspaper 'Khorasan': The fourth American prisoner in Iran is a woman. The U.S.: Efforts to free unjustly detained American citizens in Iran continue. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democratic representative: All American hostages must be freed from Iran. A Democratic member of Congress: Joe Biden should appoint a special envoy for hostages in Iran. Baqer Namazi on Father's Day: Bring dual nationals imprisoned in Iran home.