Siamak Namazi is an Iranian-American businessman who has been detained in Evin Prison in Iran since October 13, 2015.
He was arrested while on a business trip to Iran in 2015 and was convicted on charges of cooperating with a hostile government, meaning the United States.
Namazi’s father, Baquer Namazi, was also detained in Iran shortly after the U.S. swap during an attempt to visit his detained son.
Both Siamak and Baquer were subsequently left behind in two more prisoner exchanges that were carried out by the Trump administration.
Namazi later embarked on a hunger strike to mark the seventh anniversary of being left behind in a deal that freed other Americans.
He was pushing Iran and the U.S. to make a deal to secure his release which happened recently, as per CNN.
Siamak Namazi, who was just freed after being wrongfully detained by Iran since 2015, spoke to CNN's @amanpour this past March from inside Evin Prison.
It’s the only interview he ever gave from jail, an act that he described as “a desperate measure.”pic.twitter.com/N0tXX4Zb9Y
— Lauren Cone (@LConeCNN) September 18, 2023
Siamak Namazi father
Namazi’s father is Mohammad Baquer Namazi, an 80-year-old dual Iranian-American citizen.
The old man was arrested in Tehran on February 22, 2016, when he arrived in the country to visit his son, who was detained in Iran since October 13, 2015.
Baquer was taken to Evin prison, where his son was also being held after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for collaborating with a foreign government.
However, Baquer was released from prison on a medical furlough but was barred from leaving Iran.
However, on October 1, 2022, following appeals by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the Iranian president, Tehran agreed to allow Baquer to leave the country for medical treatment.
Siamak Namazi release
Namazi was released in a prisoner swap between Iran and the United States, along with four other Americans.
He spent nearly eight years in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, making him the longest-held American prisoner in Iran.
At long last, Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz & Emad Shargi are on their way home!
Eagerly and gratefully waiting for them to land on U.S soil. pic.twitter.com/MEOdijaIcw
— Hostage Aid Worldwide (@HostageAid) September 18, 2023
Evin prison
Evin Prison is a notorious prison located in Tehran, Iran.
It was built in the 1970s under the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and was initially intended to house political prisoners.
However, after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the prison became a place of detention and torture for those who opposed the new Islamic regime.
Over the years, Evin Prison has gained a reputation as one of the most brutal and inhumane prisons in the world.
Reports of torture, rape, and other forms of abuse are common and prisoners are often held in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
Many prisoners have been executed or died in custody due to mistreatment and neglect.
Evin Prison has been used to detain a wide range of people, including political dissidents, journalists, human rights activists and religious minorities.
It has also been used to hold foreign nationals, including American citizens, who have been accused of spying or other crimes.
Despite international condemnation and calls for reform, Evin Prison continues to operate and is still used to detain and punish those who are seen as a threat to the Iranian government.
The prison remains a symbol of the regime’s brutality and disregard for human rights.