Iranian-Americans jailed in Iran

The US Department of State warns of the risk of arrest and detention of travelers to Iran, most particularly dual-national Iranian-Americans. In October, three Iranian-Americans who had been arrested while visiting Iran were convicted of crimes against the state.

Two Iranian-Americans, 80-year-old Baquer Namazi, who is a former official with UNICEF, and his son, Siamak, each were sentenced to 10 years on charges of spying for the US. The two men had been held for a year at the time of the convictions.

Another Iranian-American man, Robin Shahini of San Diego, California, was given an 18-year sentence for “collaboration with a hostile government.” Shahini told reporters that he believes he was arrested because he had posted, on his Facebook page, photos in support of Iranian protests after the 2009 elections. He was visiting his mother at the time of his arrest on July 11.