Iranian-American faces spy charges after attempting to leave Iran
An Iranian-American accused of spying in Iran has been arrested after he tried to leave the country, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Iran's Judiciary Spokesperson Gholamhossein Esmaili confirmed the arrest but did not disclose the Iranian-American's identity.
"The defendant has been freed on bail … and was arrested as he tried to leave the country," Esmaili told a news conference streamed live on a government website.
"This person … faced charges from earlier in the area of spying and gathering information for foreign countries."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has arrested dozens of foreign nationals, mostly on espionage charges. Some have been swapped for Iranians held overseas for evading US sanctions.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
This latest arrest is the first Iranian-American detained by Tehran under the new Biden administration in Washington.
Local media reports claimed that Emad Shargi, an Iranian businessman, had been arrested after trying to escape across a western border.
The Iranian reports did not confirm if Shargi was a dual national. His family told US media that he had been summoned to a Tehran court and convicted of espionage, allegedly without a trial, and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
