TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran on Monday declared no negotiations with the US administration happened on swapping prisoners, saying that the Iranian and American citizens were released recently for humanitarian reasons. “The proposal to swap the prisoners was raised one and a half years ago (by Iran to the US) on the sidelines of the […]
TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran on Monday declared no negotiations with the US administration happened on swapping prisoners, saying that the Iranian and American citizens were released recently for humanitarian reasons.
“The proposal to swap the prisoners was raised one and a half years ago (by Iran to the US) on the sidelines of the (UN General) Assembly but was rejected by the US,” Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiyee told reporters in Tehran today.
He expressed pleasure that the US made the right decision and released the Iranian professor Massoud Soleimani, and said, “For humanitarian reasons, we accepted a proposal sent by a former US official to swap prisoners for the freedom of Dr. Soleimani and we were even after freedom of all in exchange of all.”
Rabiyee also appreciated the Swiss government for its efforts in this regard, and said, “This swap was not carried out based on negotiations.”
He, meantime, said that the US can start participation in negotiations within the framework of the Group 5+1 even today but only after removing all sanctions against Iran.
Professor Soleimani arrived at Tehran Mehrabad airport on Saturday evening after he was released by the US in a prisoner swap. He was welcomed by his family members and Iranian officials upon his arrival.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accompanied the released scientist from Zurich where the swap took place.
The Iranian foreign minister said in a tweet earlier in the day that the top scholar, along with Xiyue Wang — a Chinese-born US citizen who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage in Iran in 2017 — had been delivered to the Swiss officials and would “be joining their families shortly”.
Soleimani arrived in the US on October 22, 2018 with a visa issued upon an invitation by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to lead a research program on the treatment of stroke patients.
He was, however, arrested by the FBI upon arrival at the Chicago airport. His visa was canceled and he was transferred to a jail in Atlanta, Georgia.
His family had several times voiced worries about Soleimani’s “poor” mental and physical condition in jail, saying he is suffering from chronic irritable bowel syndrome, has lost 15 kilograms and suffers from severe vision loss.
Soleimani’s family condemned the US government’s hostile act.
- source : FNA, Iran News
