Iran says it is ready to exchange prisoners with the United States

Tehran, August 17 (EFE): The Iranian government announced, on Wednesday, its readiness to exchange prisoners with the United States, which requested action in this regard instead of engaging in “propaganda programmes”.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly announced its readiness to deal with the issue of prisoners with the United States through various channels, regardless of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear agreement),” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser al-Kinani said in a statement.

The diplomat explained that Tehran is seeking to release Iranians “victims of the injustice of the (US) judicial system on false accusations of violating the cruel and illegal sanctions imposed by the United States.”

Al-Kinani called on the United States to “move and remove obstacles” to reach a prisoner exchange deal instead of engaging in “propaganda programs against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Secretary of Iran’s Judicial Council for Human Rights, Kazem Gharibabadi, recently stated that about 30 Iranians are imprisoned abroad on charges related to US economic sanctions, about half of them in the United States.

At the same time, at least ten Iranian dual nationals or foreigners are serving sentences in Iranian prisons.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been accused of using prisoners with dual nationals in particular, but also from other countries, as a means of pressure or for exchanging prisoners with other countries.

This is referred to as “hostage diplomacy” by other countries and human rights organizations.

Negotiations to save the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and the United States appear to be, indirectly, close to completion, which will aid the prisoner exchange. EFE

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