Statements from the U.S. State Department Spokesperson Following the Execution of Shahram Amiri

On August 9, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, Elizabeth Trudeau, called on Iran to respect human rights and fair trial principles in light of the news of Shahram Amiri's execution, without directly mentioning this specific case. A day prior to Trudeau's comments, the Iranian judiciary spokesperson confirmed reports about Amiri's execution, stating that he had "provided vital information to the enemy" by connecting with the U.S. Amiri, known as a "nuclear scientist" or "nuclear expert," was arrested shortly after his return from the U.S. in 2010, where he had been welcomed at the airport, and little was known about his status since then. Recently, Amiri's family informed Radio Farda about his execution. Trudeau told reporters, "We once again urge Iran to respect human rights and adhere to principles of transparency and justice in judicial proceedings." The U.S. State Department spokesperson did not specifically name Shahram Amiri or mention this case. Trudeau stated, "I cannot comment on the judicial process regarding a specific case. As you know, when this individual decided to return to Iran, we had clearly spoken about this matter." Hillary Clinton, the then Secretary of State, had said in July 2010, during tensions between Iran and the U.S. regarding Amiri, that he "freely traveled to the U.S. and is free to return from the U.S." According to Clinton, the decision to travel to the U.S. and return to Iran was made solely by Amiri himself. Philip Crowley, the then U.S. State Department spokesperson, had made similar remarks: "Shahram Amiri came here of his own accord and is obviously free to return to Iran." Shortly before Clinton's remarks, Iranian state media reported that Amiri had "sought refuge" at the Iranian Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy. At that time, Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's Foreign Minister during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, stated that Amiri "wished to return to Tehran." During the time he was missing, conflicting reports and videos of him emerged; he was reported to have sought asylum in the U.S., while in one video he claimed he had been "abducted," and in another, he stated he had gone to the U.S. for education. Ultimately, upon his return, Iran's Foreign Ministry sent a representative to welcome him at the airport, where he was greeted with flowers in the presence of news media. Now, the judiciary spokesperson states that the reason for Shahram Amiri's execution was his "access to state secrets and connection with the number one enemy (the United States)." The U.S. State Department spokesperson emphasized on August 9 that Washington has expressed "concerns primarily regarding the judicial process in Iran." In this context, Shahram Amiri's family reported his execution, and the Iranian judiciary confirmed it.