Iran announces prisoner swap with the US
dpa
TEHRAN (dpa)– Iran has announced a prisoner exchange with the US. According to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, an American historian detained in Iran is to be exchanged for an Iranian biomedicine.
"Glad that Professor Massoud Soleimani and Mr Xiyue Wang will be joining their families shortly. Many thanks to all engaged, particularly the Swiss government," Zarif tweeted on Saturday. The Swiss embassy in Tehran represents US interests in Iran.
Wang was arrested during a trip to Iran in 2016 for alleged espionage and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Wang has always vehemently rejected Iran's espionage allegations.
The scientist Soleimani was arrested in 2018 when he arrived in Chicago. He wanted to attend a biomedical seminar in Minnesota. He was accused of wanting to smuggle biomedical material into Iran, thereby violating US sanctions.
Iran has at least four more US citizens in prison, three of whom also have Iranian citizenship. Tehran does not recognize dual nationality.
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