Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, revealed on Saturday that Iran had consented to release former UN representative Bagher Namazi, an Iranian-American who was being detained there to receive medical care abroad.
In a statement, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, said, “The Secretary-General expresses his gratitude that, as a result of his appeals to the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, our former colleague Bagher Namazi has been allowed to leave Iran for medical treatment abroad.”
The Secretary-General also expressed his delight over the release of Siamak Namazi, Baqer Namazi’s son who has been detained since 2015.
The statement continued, “We will continue to cooperate with the Iranian authorities on a range of crucial topics, including the regional environment, sustainable development, and the advancement and defence of human rights.
It is not yet known if these actions point to Siamak Namazi’s eventual release in full or if they portend the possible release of other US citizens detained in Iran.
The Iranian “Norn News” agency reported that a regional nation, which it did not name, intervened between Tehran and Washington for the “simultaneous release of inmates,” shortly after word leaked that Namazi had been let to travel for medical treatment overseas.
Additionally, according to the semi-official news outlet, “billions of dollars in Iranian assets that have been frozen owing to US sanctions will be released soon.
“Baqer Namazi, 85, a former UNICEF official, was found guilty of “collaborating with a hostile regime” in Iran in 2016 and given a 10-year prison sentence. The Iranian government commuted his sentence to the time he had already served and ended his case in 2020, allowing him to be released on medical reasons but essentially barring him from leaving the country.
His 51-year-old son Siamak Namazi, who has been detained in Evin Prison since 2015, was also found guilty in 2016 of the same offence as his father.
The accusations against them have been deemed to have without merit by the US government.
UN: Iran permits a detainee from the US to receive treatment abroad
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