US Reaction to Prisoner Exchange with the Islamic Republic; A Disturbing Example for Advancing Political Goals

A spokesperson for the US State Department responded to a question from Voice of America regarding the exchange of a Belgian aid worker and an Iranian diplomat imprisoned on terrorism charges, stating: "We are pleased that the Islamic Republic has released the Belgian citizen and he has returned to his family." The spokesperson also commented on Iran's decision to sentence Mr. Olivier Vandecasteele to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes for espionage, adding: "This is a glaring and abhorrent example of the unjust condemnation of foreign citizens by the Iranian regime to advance political goals." He continued: "The Islamic Republic has a long history of unjustly imprisoning foreign nationals for use as political leverage. Iranian officials continue to employ cruel methods of human rights violations, including the arbitrary detention of political prisoners on a large scale, sham trials, forced confessions, and hasty executions." The US State Department spokesperson further stated: "As a general policy, the State Department does not comment on extradition matters, including whether a request has been made or not." He emphasized: "The United States will protect and defend its citizens. We will continue to deter and respond to any threats posed by Iran in close coordination with our allies and partners." In response to another question about whether this exchange is part of the process for the release of dual-national US citizens and Iran's attempts at 'confidence-building' and finalizing nuclear negotiations, he stated that the US remains committed to securing the freedom of all US citizens wrongfully detained abroad. The spokesperson also stressed: "We are tirelessly working to bring home dual-national US citizens, including Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharqi, and Morad Tahbaz. We will not stop until they are reunited with their families." The US diplomat did not go into details about ongoing diplomatic efforts, stating: "Publicizing such discussions for American citizens wrongfully detained can carry very sensitive and significant consequences for them."