Masoud Soleimani Archives - Iran News Daily

No negotiations on swapping happened; Zarif says

reporter 1222 — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 14:00:18 +0000

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.

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Soleimani arrival after a year in captivity

reporter 1222 — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 08:32:47 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – 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.

Speaking to reporters at the airport, Zarif said he is “very happy that on National Students’ Day, one of the greatest professors and scientists of our country is returned home.”

He added that Dr. Soleimani had been taken hostage by the American forces for 14 months “without any reason.”

The US “arrested a university professor with 500 scientific articles without any reason” after it invited him and gave him a visa “to do research at the highest US scientific institute.”

The top Iranian diplomat emphasized that Dr. Soleimani had been repeatedly offered by the United States to stay in the US instead of returning home but the “patriotic professor” turned down their request.

Zarif also thanked Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the Judiciary and security bodies for agreeing to the Iranian scientist’s swap with an American who was held in Iran on espionage charges and was pardoned based on “Islamic compassion” and returned to the US.

“Over the past 40 years, the US has been trying to hinder Iran’s scientific progress. The US’ maximum pressure has been pursuing such a goal,” he said.

Zarif added that the science, progress, and technology that the Iranian nation has managed to acquire trough its self-reliance are the “biggest thorn in the side of those who do not want this nation’s prosperity.”

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Masoud Soleimani Delivered to Iranians

reporter 1222 — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 12:19:07 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian university professor, Masoud Soleimani, who was jailed by the US authorities, was delivered to Iranian officials in Switzerland in the early hours of Saturday.

In a tweet on the same day, Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote, “Glad that Professor Massoud Soleimani and Mr. Xiyue Wang will be joining their families shortly. Many thanks to all engaged, particularly the Swiss government.”

Masoud Soleimani, a distinguished professor at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, was detained by the FBI on 7 October 2018, and the US authorities did not make any statements on his case since then.

He was arrested by the FBI upon his arrival in the US on unclear charges. The trial of hematology and stem cell researcher was postponed twice over the past nine months while his innocence was proven by his lawyers.

Soleimani was accused of bypassing US sanctions by purchasing vials containing a human growth factor — a substance readily available on the market and not subject to Washington’s embargos.

The 49-year-old professor and biomedical researcher at Tehran’s Tarbiat Modares University is reportedly suffering from several health problems that have been aggravated during his incarceration.

PressTV and Al-Alam press both contributed to this report as well.

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