The US government commemorated the one-year anniversary of Iran’s imprisonment of American-citizen/former-Marine/former-game-developer/accused-spy Amir Hekmati by asking for his release.
Here’s the full statement:
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
August 29, 2012
Today marks one year since Iranian authorities detained U.S. citizen Amir Hekmati. We are relieved that Iran’s Supreme Court overturned the death sentence verdict, but remain troubled by Mr. Hekmati’s lack of legal rights and Iran’s continued refusal to allow consular access by Swiss authorities, the United States’ protecting power in Iran.
Mr. Hekmati now has spent a year in prison on charges that are categorically false, and he endured a closed-door trial with little regard for fairness and transparency. We remain concerned over reports of Mr. Hekmati’s health condition in prison and urge the Iranian Government to release him so that he may be reunited with his family.
American authorities and his family deny Hekmati was a spy, despite a (possibly coerced) confession by Hekmati that aired on Iranian TV. Iran originally sentenced Hekmati to death, but overturned that sentence in March. Since then, his American lawyer believes he’s been in poor health and locked in solitary confinement.
It’s been unclear if or when Hekmati is getting a new trial or being released.
Hekmati had worked with the development studio Kuma Games on a language-learning video game intended for the Department of defence. In his televised “confession”, Hekmati asserted that Kuma was a tool of the CIA. (Kuma reps have repeatedly declined to comment or simply ignored requests to say their piece.)
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