Shahram Amiri's Family Reports His Execution

Shahram Amiri's family reported to Radio Farda that he was executed on Wednesday, August 4. Mr. Amiri, who was referred to as a 'nuclear scientist' in the U.S. and a 'researcher' in Iran, returned to Iran from the U.S. in 2010 and was imprisoned shortly after. Marzieh Amiri, Shahram Amiri's mother, stated on Saturday, August 7, that her son was executed on Wednesday and his body was transferred to Kermanshah for burial after the execution. There are many ambiguities regarding the charges against Shahram Amiri, the judicial process or possible trial he underwent, and the potential sentence issued for him, as well as his place of detention over the years. Some news websites reported that Mr. Amiri was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of exile to the city of Khash for 'actions against national security, connections with hostile countries, and espionage,' although officials of the Islamic Republic have not commented on this news. Shahram Amiri disappeared during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in June 2009 and returned to Tehran in July 2010 through the Iranian Interests Section in Washington. Before Mr. Amiri's return to Iran, American media referred to him as a 'nuclear scientist,' but several contradictory videos of him were released, casting doubt on the reasons for his presence in the U.S. In one of these videos, Shahram Amiri claimed that CIA agents had kidnapped him in Medina and taken him to the U.S. He stated that the main goal of his abduction was 'to exert political pressure on Iran and to prove the lies that America claims against the Islamic Republic.' Meanwhile, ABC News, which had previously reported that Shahram Amiri collaborated with the CIA, released another video in which Shahram Amiri stated that he intended to continue his studies in the U.S. and assured that he was free and safe. Mr. Amiri emphasized in this video that he had no experience in weapons research, had not acted against his homeland, and had only gone to the U.S. for education. At the same time, some American media reported that Shahram Amiri had sought asylum in the U.S. through Saudi Arabia and was living in Arizona. Despite the release of these videos, the Iranian Foreign Ministry at that time continued to accuse the U.S. of kidnapping Shahram Amiri and announced that Iran would pursue this 'kidnapping' politically and legally. However, the U.S. State Department responded to these reports in July 2010, stating that Shahram Amiri came to the U.S. of his own accord and was free to return to Iran. Eventually, Shahram Amiri returned to Iran on July 15, 2010, and was welcomed by family and some officials of the Islamic Republic, including Hassan Qashqavi, then Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, but shortly thereafter, according to reports from some government-critical websites, including Saham News, he was arrested and imprisoned.