Iran and US Prisoner Exchange; The Mystery of Nasrollah Khosravi Rudesari

While many were waiting for the implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group on Saturday, January 26, another news became the headline of reputable media around the world: the agreement between Iran and the US for a prisoner exchange. This agreement was reached after about a year and a half of confidential negotiations, mostly held in Switzerland. According to reports, these talks were initiated by Bert McGurk from the US side, and a group of individuals close to Iran's intelligence-security circle since November 2014; most of whom, according to this report, had not previously negotiated with Americans and did not possess the capabilities of senior nuclear negotiators. Meetings between these Iranians and Americans were held approximately once a month in Geneva, and according to American officials, until the nuclear agreement was reached in July, there was more contention than agreement. After prolonged struggles, both sides finally agreed to exchange prisoners. Iran released five individuals, one of whom was an American citizen named Matthew Trevithick, a young man who reportedly went to Iran to learn Persian after three years of trying to obtain a visa following the nuclear agreement in July of this year. Matthew's mother and stepfather are both editors at the Christian Science Monitor. This American citizen returned to his country separately from the other prisoners. The other four all held dual citizenship. Three of them were well-known residents of Evin prison in recent years. Saeed Abedini and Amir Hekmati had been imprisoned in Iran for about four years, and their names were frequently mentioned by American officials in speeches related to Iran. Approximately 500 days ago, the name Jason Rezaian, a reporter for the Washington Post, was also added to this list. Now, these three prisoners have left Iran on a Swiss airline and are in Germany. Their families, who are with them in Germany, have published photos showing these former prisoners, although emaciated from their time in prison, smiling. The fourth individual released in Iran, according to officials, is a businessman named Nasrollah Khosravi Rudesari; a person about whom no news was published regarding his detention in Iran, and no photos of him have been seen since his release, nor is there any trace of him in internet searches. The hidden identity of this Iranian-American citizen has attracted the attention of journalists, especially Western ones, who refer to it as a 'mysterious case.' According to some American media reports, Mr. Khosravi Rudesari, despite offers from Swiss officials, decided to stay in Iran, unlike others. A senior US government official told ABC News: 'Personal considerations regarding Rudesari do not allow for further explanation about him.' The website Iran Wire has also claimed that it has conducted discussions with former cellmates of Mr. Khosravi Rudesari regarding his detention and accusations, but since they do not have access to this Iranian-American citizen and his circumstances, they cannot provide information in this regard. While the US has succeeded in freeing five of its citizens in Iran, Siamak Namazi, an Iranian-American economic activist, remains detained in Iran after about three months, and there is no information regarding the fate of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared after traveling to Kish Island in 2007. Regarding the outcomes for Iran, the US government announced that seven individuals who were imprisoned in various states across America for reasons related to sanctions violations were released, and 14 others were removed from the Interpol wanted list. On Sunday, the US Department of Justice published the names of the seven individuals who were released from prison. However, Iranian officials in Tehran announced a different number of individuals affected by this agreement. Mohammad Javad Zarif, on Monday night on Iran's state television, stated regarding the prisoner exchange agreement: 'We managed to agree to release seven Iranian prisoners, some of whom had sentences of ten years, and one of them had a fine of ten million dollars.' The head of Iran's diplomatic apparatus explained the group of 14 individuals as follows: 'These are 14 dear compatriots, some of whom had been imprisoned for one or two years in Southeast Asia due to extradition requests to the US through Interpol; they had all been released from prison, especially during the time of the Rouhani administration. Three prisoners in Malaysia, as well as in Iraq, the CEO of Mahan Air in Dubai had issues; all of them who had returned to Iran had prohibitions or restrictions, and upon leaving Iran, Interpol could have apprehended them.' However, a third group that has not been mentioned in recent days and benefited from this recent Iran-US agreement consists of seven individuals whom Mohammad Javad Zarif explained: 'Seven others were dual nationals in the US who had served their prison terms, but had restrictions similar to those under suspended sentences in Iran. The restrictions on these individuals have also been lifted.' US officials have not yet commented on this recent group.