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Update: Iran swaps detained dual-nationals, Washington Post reporter: TV

Xinhua, January 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

Iran released four detained dual-nationals, including the Iranian-American Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, on Saturday as a part of prisoner swap, Iran's state IRINN TV reported.

Earlier on Saturday, Iran's prosecutor general announced that "in line with the order of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and the interests of the country, Iran has released four Iranian dual-national prisoners as a part of prisoners swap."

When talking to IRINN on Saturday, an informed source identified the released inmates as the Iranian-Americans: Saeed Abedini, Amir Mirzaee Hekmati, Nosratollah Khosravi and Jason Rezaian.

Rezaian, the 39-year-old Iranian-American, had been working as a Washington Post correspondent since 2012.

He was arrested along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, a reporter for the Abu Dhabi-based National newspaper, along with two Iranian-American freelance photojournalists, on July 22, 2014.

The photographers were later released, with Salehi freed on bail two months later.

Amir Hekmati, another Iranian-American, was arrested in August 2011 on a visit to his family in Iran over the charge of being a Central Intelligence Agency spy.

The former Marine was sentenced to death in January 2012 but it was overturned two months later by Iran's Supreme Court after his appeal. The country's Revolutionary Court then charged him with "cooperating with hostile governments" and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

Besides, Saeed Abedini, the Iranian-American Christian pastor, was detained in Iran in summer of 2012. Later in 2013, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, reportedly on charges of undermining national security through private religious gatherings in Christian homes in Iran in the early 2000s.

Based on the prisoner swap deal, seven Iranians in the prisons of the United Sates will also be released, the source was quoted as saying by IRINN.

Moreover, 14 Iranians, already in the list of international police organization, interpol, will not be prosecuted anymore, it said.

The Iranians in the prisons of the United Sates were reportedly violated the sanction regimes developed by the United Sates against Iran over the country's nuclear issue.

The announcement by Iran on Saturday came as the Islamic republic and the world powers are expected to announce the "implementation" of July historic deal on the former's disputed nuclear program on Saturday which will significantly scale back the country's atomic plan in exchange for the international and Western sanction relief on Iran's energy and financial sectors. Endit