Lawyer for White Family: American Detained in Mashhad Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison

Reuters reports, citing the lawyer for Michael White, an American citizen detained in Mashhad, that he has been sentenced to ten years in prison. Iranian judicial authorities have not yet officially announced Mr. White's sentence. Mark Zaid, Michael White's lawyer, stated that this 46-year-old citizen faces two convictions: insulting the leader of the Islamic Republic and publicly sharing a private photo. According to Mr. Zaid, the 'convictions' were communicated to Michael White on March 6 and 9. A week ago, on March 20, Gholamali Sadeghi, the prosecutor of Mashhad, said, 'The verdict in the case of the detained American military citizen has been issued, but I currently have no details about the verdict.' Mr. White was detained in Mashhad. A spokesperson for his mother told Radio Farda that White became acquainted with a woman in Mashhad via the internet and traveled to Iran several times until he was detained in July. The family of Michael White stated that he previously served in the U.S. Navy as a cook and had retired from this force. The Mashhad prosecutor's office stated that the issue of security charges against Michael White is 'still under review' and 'only the existence of a private complainant is confirmed.' Reuters notes that the evidence related to the first conviction, which apparently involves insulting the leader of the Islamic Republic, is unclear, but it seems the second verdict relates to the publication of a photo of Michael White on social media showing him alongside an Iranian woman. Iranian judicial officials or other official Iranian authorities have not yet provided details about Michael White's sentence. The U.S. State Department told Reuters that due to 'privacy considerations, it is not yet able to provide details.' A State Department official stated, 'We are aware of the detention process. There is no priority more important to us than the safety of American citizens abroad.' Reuters reported that Michael White's family learned of the sentences earlier this week through U.S. State Department officials. The U.S. State Department became aware of these sentences through Switzerland, which serves as the U.S. interests section in Tehran. Mark Zaid stated that U.S. State Department officials and Mr. White's family are still trying to determine whether the reasons for the detention and the issued sentences are political or based on other reasons. The Islamic Republic has detained several American citizens in recent years, some of whom remain in prison despite requests from the U.S. and even international organizations, including Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, and Xiyue Wang. Robert Levinson is another citizen who disappeared in the winter of 2007 after traveling to Kish Island, and U.S. officials have repeatedly asked the Islamic Republic to 'return him to his family.' Detained American citizens have faced security charges, but these charges have faced criticism from international organizations. For instance, last year, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention described the detention of the Namazis as 'a violation of international law.'