American Journalist And Former Marine Freed By Iran As Part Of Prisoner Swap

American journalist Jason Rezaian is among four U.S. citizens released by Iran as part of a prisoner swap.

Rezaian who is a Washington Post reporter had been held by Iran since July 2014, when he was arrested and convicted of supposed espionage offences. U.S. officials confirmed that Mr Rezaian with former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, pastor Saeed Abedini and Nosratollah Khosrawi, all of whom have U.S.-Iranian dual nationality, had been freed.

The prisoner exchange came as economic sanctions against Iran were set to be lifted as part of the Islamic republic's nuclear deal with world powers. A U.S. official, speaking in Vienna where diplomats are meeting to implement Iran's nuclear deal, said: “Our citizens have not yet been flown out of Iran, and we do not want to do anything that would complicate it”. Another source said the swap was a “one-time arrangement because it was an opportunity to bring Americans home” 

All four will fly to Switzerland on a Swiss plane before being taken to a U.S. military base in Germany for medical treatment, after which they will be repatriated. The fifth American being released is believed to be a student who was recently detained in Iran, but this is not clear. In return for the four men being freed, seven Iranian prisoners were sent back to Tehran, according to a source in Iran. They were named as Nader Modanlo, Bahram Mechanic, Khosrow Afghani, Arash Ghahreman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Saboun. five of them breached economic sanctions by doing business with Iran, while one of them was a convicted.

Rezaian, who was born in California, was convicted in closed proceedings last year after being charged with espionage. He was sentenced to an undisclosed amount of time in jail. Former Marine Amir Hekmati, was arrested in Iran on espionage charges in 2011. Mr Hekmati went to Iran to visit family and spend time with his ailing grandmother. After his arrest, his family says they were told to keep the matter quiet. He was sentenced to death in 2012. After a higher court ordered a retrial, he was sentenced in 2014 to 10 years in prison. Pastor Saeed Abedini was detained in 2012 for compromising national security after he was found to be preaching Christianity. He was sentenced in 2013 to eight years in prison. Siamak Namazi was working at Crescent Petroleum when his home was ransacked by Iranian authorities in October last year. He was arrested and has been detained since then.