Baquer Namazi, an elderly Iranian-American who was blocked from leaving Iran can now do so, and his son Siamak Namazi, 50, was also released from detention.
According to a statement from UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, Namazi, who had been unlawfully detained in Iran for more than six years, has been allowed to leave the nation “to seek medical treatment abroad.”
Amid efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major Western powers, the United States has been lobbying for the release of these two men and two other Americans.
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In a statement, the UN spokesperson wrote: “The Secretary-General is grateful that, following his appeals to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, our former colleague Baquer Namazi has been permitted to leave Iran for medical treatment abroad.”
“We will continue to engage with the Iranian authorities on a range of important issues, including the regional situation, sustainable development and the promotion and protection of human rights,” the statement added.
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Who is Baquer Namazi?
Baquer Namazi is a former UNICEF official. He was arrested when he travelled to Iran in February 2016 to demand the release of his son Siamak, who had been detained in October of the previous year.
In October 2016, both were found guilty of espionage and given ten-year prison terms. The father, who was serving his term under home arrest, was released on medical leave in 2018.
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The younger Namazi is now spending the first time in seven years at home with his parents in Tehran, according to the Namazis’ attorney Jared Genser, who also confirmed the news of the release.
“While these are critical first steps, we will not rest until the Namazis can all return to the United States and their long nightmare has finally come to an end,” Genser said in a statement.
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