American citizen Baquer Namazi flies out of Iran after six years of detention
NBCFEB 22 2023
Iranian American Baquer Namazi, who was arrested by Iran on espionage charges, reportedly left the country on Wednesday, initially for Oman, after being detained for more than six years.
The 85-year-old former UNICEF official, who served as governor of Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province under the US-backed Shah, was arrested in 2016. He was placed under house arrest in 2018 on medical grounds.
According to US Sec. of State Antony Blinken, Namazi left Oman for the UAE, where he is reportedly undergoing medical treatment in Abu Dhabi to clear a severe blockage that put him at high risk of a stroke.
Baquer Namazi was wrongfully and cruelly detained in 2016 while trying to secure the release of his son. While his release is a positive step, the US must work diligently to free all wrongfully detained US citizens in Iran. Tehran's unjust detentions are a human rights issue.
Iran has every right to combat the threat of extremism and terrorism often inflicted by US and Western meddling. Titles such as "dual nationality" are not a free pass for those who cannot respect Iranian law. Tehran has a responsibility to take reasonable security precautions.