Mashhad Prosecutor: American Citizen in Prison Has a Private Complainant

The prosecutor of Mashhad claimed that Michael White, a 46-year-old American citizen imprisoned in the city, "has a private complainant," while also stating that his "security charge" is under review. According to the Young Journalists Club website, affiliated with state media, Gholamali Sadeghi said on Friday that the reason for the arrest of this American citizen is the complaint of a "private complainant." He also responded to the question of whether the "security charge" pertains to this American citizen, stating: "It is under review, but what is currently clear and certain is that this individual has a private complainant." He emphasized that "this case is in the investigation stage and will be announced after the results are complete." Last month, reports emerged about the arrest of an American citizen named "Michael R. White" in Mashhad and his detention in Vakilabad prison, which was also confirmed by the U.S. State Department. This is the first case of the arrest of an American citizen in Iran during Donald Trump's presidency. Mr. White, who has a background in the U.S. Navy, has been imprisoned in Mashhad since early August, but it is unclear what charges he is facing. The New York Times also reported on January 8, citing Michael White's mother, that his reason for traveling to Iran was to meet his girlfriend. She emphasized that she had no information about her son's fate in the first months and that three weeks ago, U.S. State Department officials informed her that he had been imprisoned in Iran. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, confirmed the arrest of the American citizen in Mashhad on Wednesday, January 9, but denied reports about "the mistreatment of this prisoner." Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that the Trump administration has "proudly" worked to free Americans around the world but cannot disclose details of ongoing efforts regarding Mr. White's case, and that consular matters are being pursued. Mr. Pompeo assured the American people that "ensuring the safety and health of citizens worldwide is one of the government's top priorities." According to him, such behaviors by Iran are one of the reasons why the Trump administration emphasized that the JCPOA was a "terrible" idea. Currently, at least three other American citizens are imprisoned in Iran, including Siamak and Baqer Namazi, who hold dual Iranian-American citizenship. Baqer Namazi is currently on medical leave outside of prison and is banned from leaving the country. Zhao Wang, a Chinese-American researcher at Princeton University, has also been sentenced to ten years in prison in Iran. Additionally, Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent, disappeared in the winter of 2007 after traveling to Kish Island, but Iranian officials claim they have no information about his fate. Several Iranian-American citizens imprisoned in Iran were released during a swap with a group of Iranian-American prisoners in the U.S. on the day the nuclear agreement was implemented. In this context, Jason Rezaian has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court seeking one billion dollars in damages from Iran.