The U.S. Calls for the Immediate Release of Baqer and Siamak Namazi

John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, on March 19, called on the Iranian government to release Baqer and Siamak Namazi, two Iranian-American citizens, as soon as possible. Reports indicate that Siamak Namazi, former director of strategic planning at Crescent Oil Company, was arrested in October of this year, and Baqer Namazi, a former UNICEF representative in several African countries, was detained in February by Iranian security forces. Baqer Namazi, 80 years old, has a heart condition that worries his family. According to Baqer Namazi's wife, both father and son are in Evin Prison. Iran does not recognize the dual nationality of Iranian-American citizens, and since Tehran and Washington do not have diplomatic relations, the Swiss embassy in Tehran acts as the protecting power for the U.S. In response to an email from AFP regarding this matter, John Kirby stated: "We are deeply concerned about reports of the detention of Siamak and Baqer Namazi in Iran." AFP reports that this is the first time the U.S. State Department has taken a position on the identity of these two detained Iranian-American citizens. The State Department spokesperson clarified: "We are not aware of the charges against these two and believe that their detention (which has been reported in Iran) is unjust." John Kirby added: "We urge Iranian authorities to allow consular access through the Swiss embassy to these two and to release them as soon as possible so they can return to their families." Previously, UNICEF expressed concern about Baqer Namazi's situation in prison on March 4. Baqer Namazi, who was the governor of Khuzestan during Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's reign and a UNICEF representative in Somalia, Egypt, and Kenya until his retirement in 1996, was arrested about ten days ago by security forces in Tehran and transferred to Evin Prison. The U.S. State Department recently issued a warning regarding travel for its citizens to Iran, stating that while the Swiss embassy in Tehran acts as the protecting power for the U.S., it is unable to provide many services to American citizens in Iran. The U.S. State Department also warned its citizens that since Iran does not recognize dual nationality, the Swiss embassy is also not allowed to provide support services to dual Iranian-American citizens.