The following are short biographies of the four Americans being released Saturday by Iran, and the seven Iranians freed by the United States under a prisoner swap.
- Jason Rezaian -
Rezaian, 39, had been The Washington Post's correspondent in Tehran since 2012. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, the dual American-Iranian citizen had relatively little exposure to Iran until he was in his 20s and his father began visiting his homeland. That sparked the younger Rezaian's interest and he began studying Farsi on his own, his brother Ali told the Post.
After completing his studies at the New School, a university in New York, in 2000, he spent more and more time in Iran, freelancing for Western news organizations. "It was really important to him that people understand what life was like in Iran," said Ali Rezaian.
Jason Rezaian's Iranian connections grew stronger still when he met Yeganeh Salehi, an Iranian journalist. The two were married in April 2013 in Iran.
In July 2014, Iranian authorities raided the couple's apartment and took both into custody. Salehi was released three months later. Iran eventually tried Rezaian behind closed doors on charges including espionage -- charges that he, The Post and the US State Department vehemently reject.
His captivity in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran damaged his health, family members said.
- Amir Hekmati -
Hekmati is a 32-year-old American who was born in Arizona and grew up in Nebraska and Michigan. The decorated former US Marine infantry rifleman, linguist and translator served in Iraq after the 2003 US invasion, according to the freeamir.org website launched by supporters.
Hekmati traveled to Iran in 2011 to visit relatives including his ailing grandmother and was arrested on charges of spying for the CIA.
His ordeal included a forced confession aired on Iranian TV, his family says.
"I barely recognized him," his twin sister Leila said of the video, according to Al-Jazeera.
"He looked like he lost 50 to 60 pounds (23-27 kilograms), easily. And it seemed very forced and scripted."
In 2012, Hekmati was tried and sentenced to death. The ruling was overturned by a higher court, but in 2013, Hekmati got a 10-year jail sentence on grounds he had spied for hostile governments.
- Saeed Abedini -
Abedini, a 35-year-old Iranian native, was ordained a minister in 2008 through the American Evangelistic Association and conducted services in underground churches in Iran.
A convert from Islam to Christianity, he gained US citizenship through his marriage in 2010 to his wife Naghmeh, and he traveled often between the countries.
Abedini was arrested in September 2012 on a trip to Iran to set up an orphanage. He was sentenced the following January by the Iranian Revolutionary Court to eight years in prison on charges of disrupting national security through his work with the so-called house churches.
His family said his work with the churches took place when they were largely tolerated under the reformist president Mohammad Khatami, and that Abedini had abided by a 2009 agreement, made after a previous detention, to halt such activity.
The American Center for Law and Justice, a Christian-based group that has represented Abedini's wife and children, said he was tortured while in prison and beaten by fellow inmates, suffering facial injuries.
- Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari -
Little is known about this person.
A fifth American, identified as Matthew Trevithick, was also being released as part of a separate process.
In exchange for the release of the four Americans, the United States granted clemency to seven Iranians. Six had dual citizenship. All seven had either been convicted or were awaiting trial in the United States on charges of violating sanctions or export control violations.
Here are thumbnail sketches of the seven, named by Iran's judiciary and the state broadcaster as Nader Modanlou, Bahram Mechanic, Khosrow Afghahi, Arash Ghahreman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Saboonchi:
- Nader Modanlou -
Modanlou, 55, was convicted in June 2013 of using his aerospace expertise and connections with Russia to help his native Iran launch its first satellite, in exchange for a $10 million brokering fee. The Iranian-born Modanlou, who had worked for NASA subcontractors, was also found guilty of money laundering. He was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
- Arash Ghahreman -
Ghahreman, who came to the United States in 2007 and is a naturalized US citizen, was arrested in 2013 and convicted of planning to export military-capable technology -- gyrocompasses he attempted to buy from Northrop Grumman -- to Iran via a front company in Dubai. The 45-year-old was sentenced in August to six and a half years in prison.
- Nima Golestaneh -
In 2012, 30-year-old Golestaneh allegedly remotely accessed and attempted to steal costly software used in aerodynamic design from a Vermont-based company. Turkey extradited him to the United States last year, according to the US Institute of Peace. He signed a plea agreement and was awaiting sentencing, facing a possible 20 years in prison.
- Ali Saboonchi -
Saboonchi, 34, was indicted in 2013 on charges of conspiracy and illegally exporting manufactured industrial products and services to Iran, according to the FBI. From a company he started in Maryland, Saboonchi sent products used in the oil and gas industry to Iran by way of the United Arab Emirates and China. He was sentenced last February to two years in prison.
- Bahram Mechanic, Tooraj Faridi and Khosrow Afghahi -
Mechanic, 69, Faridi, 46, and Afghahi, 71, were part of a Houston-based Iranian procurement network, according to a federal indictment unsealed last year. Mechanic and Faridi, who are both naturalized US citizens, allegedly shipped banned microelectronics used to build missiles to Iran, charges carrying potential prison sentences of up to 20 years. Faridi, who co-owned Smart Power Systems of Houston with Mechanic, faced less serious charges. All three had pleaded not guilty.
A US official said that the United States also removed any Interpol "red" notices -- essentially international arrest warrants -- "and dismissed any charges against 14 Iranians for whom it was assessed that extradition requests were unlikely to be successful."
The following are short biographies of the four Americans being released Saturday by Iran, and the seven Iranians freed by the United States under a prisoner swap.
– Jason Rezaian –
Rezaian, 39, had been The Washington Post’s correspondent in Tehran since 2012. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, the dual American-Iranian citizen had relatively little exposure to Iran until he was in his 20s and his father began visiting his homeland. That sparked the younger Rezaian’s interest and he began studying Farsi on his own, his brother Ali told the Post.
After completing his studies at the New School, a university in New York, in 2000, he spent more and more time in Iran, freelancing for Western news organizations. “It was really important to him that people understand what life was like in Iran,” said Ali Rezaian.
Jason Rezaian’s Iranian connections grew stronger still when he met Yeganeh Salehi, an Iranian journalist. The two were married in April 2013 in Iran.
In July 2014, Iranian authorities raided the couple’s apartment and took both into custody. Salehi was released three months later. Iran eventually tried Rezaian behind closed doors on charges including espionage — charges that he, The Post and the US State Department vehemently reject.
His captivity in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran damaged his health, family members said.
– Amir Hekmati –
Hekmati is a 32-year-old American who was born in Arizona and grew up in Nebraska and Michigan. The decorated former US Marine infantry rifleman, linguist and translator served in Iraq after the 2003 US invasion, according to the freeamir.org website launched by supporters.
Hekmati traveled to Iran in 2011 to visit relatives including his ailing grandmother and was arrested on charges of spying for the CIA.
His ordeal included a forced confession aired on Iranian TV, his family says.
“I barely recognized him,” his twin sister Leila said of the video, according to Al-Jazeera.
“He looked like he lost 50 to 60 pounds (23-27 kilograms), easily. And it seemed very forced and scripted.”
In 2012, Hekmati was tried and sentenced to death. The ruling was overturned by a higher court, but in 2013, Hekmati got a 10-year jail sentence on grounds he had spied for hostile governments.
– Saeed Abedini –
Abedini, a 35-year-old Iranian native, was ordained a minister in 2008 through the American Evangelistic Association and conducted services in underground churches in Iran.
A convert from Islam to Christianity, he gained US citizenship through his marriage in 2010 to his wife Naghmeh, and he traveled often between the countries.
Abedini was arrested in September 2012 on a trip to Iran to set up an orphanage. He was sentenced the following January by the Iranian Revolutionary Court to eight years in prison on charges of disrupting national security through his work with the so-called house churches.
His family said his work with the churches took place when they were largely tolerated under the reformist president Mohammad Khatami, and that Abedini had abided by a 2009 agreement, made after a previous detention, to halt such activity.
The American Center for Law and Justice, a Christian-based group that has represented Abedini’s wife and children, said he was tortured while in prison and beaten by fellow inmates, suffering facial injuries.
– Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari –
Little is known about this person.
A fifth American, identified as Matthew Trevithick, was also being released as part of a separate process.
In exchange for the release of the four Americans, the United States granted clemency to seven Iranians. Six had dual citizenship. All seven had either been convicted or were awaiting trial in the United States on charges of violating sanctions or export control violations.
Here are thumbnail sketches of the seven, named by Iran’s judiciary and the state broadcaster as Nader Modanlou, Bahram Mechanic, Khosrow Afghahi, Arash Ghahreman, Tooraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Saboonchi:
– Nader Modanlou –
Modanlou, 55, was convicted in June 2013 of using his aerospace expertise and connections with Russia to help his native Iran launch its first satellite, in exchange for a $10 million brokering fee. The Iranian-born Modanlou, who had worked for NASA subcontractors, was also found guilty of money laundering. He was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
– Arash Ghahreman –
Ghahreman, who came to the United States in 2007 and is a naturalized US citizen, was arrested in 2013 and convicted of planning to export military-capable technology — gyrocompasses he attempted to buy from Northrop Grumman — to Iran via a front company in Dubai. The 45-year-old was sentenced in August to six and a half years in prison.
– Nima Golestaneh –
In 2012, 30-year-old Golestaneh allegedly remotely accessed and attempted to steal costly software used in aerodynamic design from a Vermont-based company. Turkey extradited him to the United States last year, according to the US Institute of Peace. He signed a plea agreement and was awaiting sentencing, facing a possible 20 years in prison.
– Ali Saboonchi –
Saboonchi, 34, was indicted in 2013 on charges of conspiracy and illegally exporting manufactured industrial products and services to Iran, according to the FBI. From a company he started in Maryland, Saboonchi sent products used in the oil and gas industry to Iran by way of the United Arab Emirates and China. He was sentenced last February to two years in prison.
– Bahram Mechanic, Tooraj Faridi and Khosrow Afghahi –
Mechanic, 69, Faridi, 46, and Afghahi, 71, were part of a Houston-based Iranian procurement network, according to a federal indictment unsealed last year. Mechanic and Faridi, who are both naturalized US citizens, allegedly shipped banned microelectronics used to build missiles to Iran, charges carrying potential prison sentences of up to 20 years. Faridi, who co-owned Smart Power Systems of Houston with Mechanic, faced less serious charges. All three had pleaded not guilty.
A US official said that the United States also removed any Interpol “red” notices — essentially international arrest warrants — “and dismissed any charges against 14 Iranians for whom it was assessed that extradition requests were unlikely to be successful.”
