TEHRAN: Seven Iranian prisoners held in the United States will be freed in exchange for the release of four Iranian-American nationals jailed in Iran, an informed source told state television Saturday.
It named the dual-nationals as Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post’s Tehran correspondent, pastor Saeed Abedini, former US Marine Amir Hekmati, and Nosratollah Khosravi.
However, the official IRNA news agency, quoting an informed source, said the fourth person freed was Siamak Namazi, an Iranian-American businessman.
Foreign media reported that Iran said Saturday that four Iranian dual nationals had been freed as part of a prisoner exchange in line with national interests at the order of the country’s top security committee.
No names were immediately released in a statement from the judiciary outlining the decision, but among Iranian-American citizens in custody is Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post’s Tehran correspondent. Rezaian’s lawyer, Leila Ahsan, told AFP she had not learned if her client was free. “I have no information on this,” she said.
The announcement came as Iran and world powers led by the United States were expected to finally implement last July’s nuclear deal, which will lift international sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic.
