Family pleads for release of former Marine imprisoned in Iran
By Elise Labott
A year ago this week, an Iranian court threw out the death penalty conviction of a former U.S. Marine accused of spying and ordered a retrial.
After the death sentence was overturned, his family in Michigan held out hope Amir Hekmati would be released.
Instead, he has spent the past year in solitary confinement at Iran's notorious Evin Prison.
Hekmati was detained by Iranian authorities in August 2011 during a two-week visit to see his grandmother. Iranian authorities accused him spying on behalf of the CIA, a charge the family and the Obama administration deny.
Born in Arizona and raised in Nebraska before settling in Flint, Michigan, with his family, Hekmati joined the Marines out of high school. He finished his service four years later as a decorated combat veteran for tours in Iraq.
Afterward, he worked as a contractor as an Arabic translator and helped to train troops with cultural sensitivity.
Ramy Kurdi, who is married to Hekmati's eldest sister, said in an interview that his brother-in-law was honest with the Iranian Interest Section in Washington about his service when he applied for a visa.
"He told his mom, 'I have nothing to hide.' And after he disclosed this to the Iranians, they told him he would be welcomed in Iran and would have no problem," Kurdi said.
His family followed instructions by the Iranian government to remain silent about his arrest and suggested his release could come in a few months.
Three months later, in December, Hekmati appeared on Iranian state television maintaining he was sent to Iran by the CIA, a performance Kurdi said was a forced confession made under duress.
Although Hekmati's death sentence, imposed after a closed-door trial, was overturned and set for retrial, there have been no new legal proceedings and the government has not been communicating with the family.
"To have the death sentence overturned is a great victory, but for him to continue to be punished for something when the court said there is not enough evidence is so painful for us to deal with as a family," Kurdi said.
In January 2012, the Iranian government permitted Hekmati's mother to visit him in prison, but kept her from her son during two subsequent visits. Repeated requests by the family for his court-appointed lawyer to visit him have been denied.
Evin Prison is where American hikers Sharah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were imprisoned on charges of spying after crossing the Iran-Iraq border in July 2009 before ultimately being released. Bauer and Fattal were released two days after Hekmati's arrest.
Recently, Hekmati was moved out of solitary confinement to the general prison population, after a month-long hunger strike which left him unconscious and needing medical treatment. An uncle who lives in Iran was able to visit him in prison last month.
His family is concerned about Hekmati's heath, but is also in a race against the clock to get him home with his father, a biology professor who is battling terminal cancer. Hekmati does not know about his father's illness.
"We have no idea how much longer his father has," Kurdi said. "We just hope how ever long he has he gets to enjoy it with his whole family, with Amir home."
The family is hoping Hekmati can be released as a humanitarian gesture for the Persian New Year on March 20.
"Our family is not political," Kurdi said. We are Americans. Amir is an American citizen. We are not trying to involve ourselves in the politics between Iran and the U.S."
soundoff (762 Responses)
« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next »Leave a Reply to Luxury Sprinter Van Shop
@natlsecuritycnn on Twitter
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this article and also the rest of the site is very good.
/
https://f001.sublimestore.jp/trace.php?rd=https://eldorado.fm/noticias/educacao/7065-pode-me-rodopiar-e-virar-de-cabeca-pra-baixo-dispara-mendes-sobre-pagamento-da-lei-da-dobra.html
Having read this I believed it was extremely informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this article together. I once again find myself spending a lot of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
/
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously believe that this amazing site needs a lot more attention. Iíll probably be back again to see more, thanks for the information!
https://reaaldierenzorg.nl/bitrix/rk.php?goto=ocrvcenter.comholostyak-stb-2021
http://scribblelive.com/r?u=www.ocrvcenter.com/
I quite like reading an article that will make people think. Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
https://www.cdmx.gob.mx/link?ruta=https://ocrvcenter.com/
I need to to thank you for this great read!! I absolutely loved every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to check out new things you postÖ
https://www.tunneltalk.com/redirectpy?rurl=www.ocrvcenter.com
http://biblioteca.infotec.com.mx/cgi-bin/koha/tracklinks.pl?uri=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/
http://www.iianews.com/link.php?url=http://ocrvcenter.com
http://www.localstars.com/track.php?ad=525825&target=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/
https://www.findlay.co.uk/redirect/HTU10DEC15/0.aspx?u=ocrvcenter.com
Aw, this was a really good post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a top notch articleÖ but what can I sayÖ I put things off a whole lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.
https://updowntoday.com/ru/sites/ocrvcenter.com/
http://www.kunstbuchanzeiger.de/link.php?url=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/
After I initially left a comment I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I receive 4 emails with the exact same comment. Perhaps there is a means you are able to remove me from that service? Appreciate it!
http://www.jitsys.ru/bitrix/rk.php?goto=ocrvcenter.com
I blog quite often and I really thank you for your content. This great article has really peaked my interest. I'm going to book mark your blog and keep checking for new information about once a week. I subscribed to your Feed too.
http://wendysarbys.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=webdesignpostfalls.com
http://cydcorinc.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.masternearme.com/
Pretty! This was a really wonderful article. Thanks for providing this info.
http://buffaloairporthotel.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=webdesignpostfalls.com/
http://elowestbuy.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrv.fun/
http://ruralads.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=callfeeder.com
Excellent post. I'm going through a few of these issues as well..
http://www.andersonsurvey.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.biz
http://amwriter.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvpaintandservice.com
Good write-up. I absolutely love this site. Thanks!
http://www.trendmodamagazin.com/rdr.php?url=https://socialmediacoversmadeforyou.com
Having read this I believed it was really informative. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this article together. I once again find myself spending a lot of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
https://brackenburyprimary.co.uk/brighton-hove/primary/portslade/CookiePolicy.action?backto=https://ocrv.tv
http://spinalcord.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrv.art
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon everyday. It's always exciting to read content from other writers and practice something from other websites.
http://ocean-chemical.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=juicycalls.com
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Many thanks, However I am experiencing troubles with your RSS. I donít know the reason why I can't subscribe to it. Is there anybody having identical RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanks!!
http://oakrisk.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=bulknearme.com
http://detroitdiesel-mtu.info/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.getmoneyonlyfans.com/
http://www.kellyclarksonriddle.com/gbook/go.php?url=https://ocrvcenter.com/
http://photopangea.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrv.world
After going over a handful of the articles on your web page, I honestly appreciate your way of writing a blog. I book-marked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future. Please check out my website too and let me know your opinion.
http://lzf.red-dot.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.com
https://momofcomedy.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=consciousgrowthmarketing.com
http://octannerjewelry.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=backbonehunters.com
I'd like to thank you for the efforts you've put in writing this website. I am hoping to see the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own website now 😉
http://www.scoutchannel.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=backbonehunters.com
Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thanks, However I am going through issues with your RSS. I donít know why I cannot join it. Is there anybody getting identical RSS issues? Anybody who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!!
http://westsidestorythemovie.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=consciousgrowthmarketing.com
Right here is the right web site for anybody who wants to understand this topic. You understand so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want toÖHaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic that's been discussed for decades. Great stuff, just great!
http://ihatelaurelcars.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=backbonehunters.com
http://10lowkey.us/UCH/link.php?url=https://backbonehunters.com
http://kredit-2700000.mosgorkredit.ru/go?https://commercialrepairshop.com/
Having read this I believed it was very informative. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this content together. I once again find myself spending a lot of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
http://afrovids.com/cgi-bin/atx/out.cgi?id=212&tag=toplist&trade=https://ocrv.today/
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn't disappoint me as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, but I really thought you would probably have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something you could fix if you weren't too busy looking for attention.
http://ashermorgan.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvshop.com/
bookmarked!!, I love your web site!
https://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2c=hdorrh+HcDlQ+zUEnZU5qlfKZ1Cl53X6url=http://ocrv.xyz/
http://www.marcomanfredini.it/radio/visualizzacollezione.php?paginanews=3&contenuto=13&quale=40&origine=http://ocrv.pro
http://minuscript.com/Redirect.aspx?destination=www.earme.a2hosted.com
Your style is very unique in comparison to other folks I've read stuff from. I appreciate you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I'll just bookmark this page.
http://odokon.org/w3a/redirect.php?redirect=https://www.sprintervanrepairnearme.com
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you so much, However I am encountering problems with your RSS. I donít understand the reason why I am unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone else getting the same RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks!!
http://outlawmailer.com/addfavorites.php?userid=xxjess&url=https://fleetservicesocrv.com/
http://www.stopdemand.org/ra.asp?url=https://ocrvcenter.biz/
Hi, I do believe your blog might be having web browser compatibility problems. Whenever I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in IE, it's got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Apart from that, fantastic website!
http://nlmgiftshop.info/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=boxtruckrepairshop.com
Good site you've got here.. Itís hard to find high quality writing like yours these days. I honestly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
http://questhospitalitysuppliers.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrv.info
An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment. There's no doubt that that you need to publish more about this subject, it might not be a taboo matter but typically people don't talk about these topics. To the next! Many thanks!!
http://money.omorovie.com/redirect.php?url=https://www.ocrvcenter.info
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who was doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me lunch due to the fact that I found it for him... lol. So let me reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to talk about this matter here on your site.
https://www.volunteersinmission.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=earme.a2hosted.com/
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It's always helpful to read articles from other writers and use a little something from other websites.
https://www.wewanttolive.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=earme.a2hosted.com/
http://educategirls.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=fleetautorepairshop.com
http://missy.coldsaws.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrv.rocks
Excellent post. I am experiencing many of these issues as well..
http://chattando.easyexpedite.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.fleetservicesocrv.com
Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful post. Thanks for providing these details.
http://www.brooklymuseum.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=bestservicenearme.com
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you, However I am having difficulties with your RSS. I donít understand why I am unable to join it. Is there anyone else getting identical RSS problems? Anybody who knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanks!!
http://www.scriptbuilder.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=bestshopnearme.com
It seems like the internet is where it's at. I studied Computer Information and Film/Video at school, but I'm not too shabby with a keyboard when it comes to writing interesting stuff. Does anyone know of anyone (aside from Drudge and Arianna Huffington) who has been able to make a few bucks by blogging on a site from home?.
https://www.instagram.com/katekdesigns
Next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn't disappoint me as much as this particular one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read through, however I really believed you would probably have something helpful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.
http://cpann.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.bestshopnearme.com/
http://boundari.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=nearmyspot.com
http://fbetpay.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=bulknearme.com/
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be exciting to read through content from other authors and use a little something from their web sites.
http://www.alabout.com/j.phtml?url=http://ocrvcenter.com
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly think this web site needs a great deal more attention. Iíll probably be back again to read through more, thanks for the advice!
http://1-800-rentnow.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.com
I couldnít resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!
https://www.actualitesdroitbelge.be/click_newsletter.php?url=http://ocrvcenter.com/
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may revisit yet again since i have bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.
https://www.guidaziende.net/launch.php?link_id=10292&launch=https://masternearme.com/
After looking over a few of the blog posts on your web page, I really like your technique of writing a blog. I bookmarked it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my website as well and let me know how you feel.
http://osservamedia.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=reviewnearme.com
http://bigslickscasino.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=bestservicenearme.com
Hello there! I just would like to offer you a huge thumbs up for your excellent information you have got right here on this post. I'll be returning to your blog for more soon.
http://innuityweb.myregisteredsite.com/admin/membership_agreement.php?partnerID=3185&domain=http://fleettruckrepairshop.com
https://georgewbushlibrary.smu.edu/exit.aspx?url=www.postfallsvegan.com/
Hi! I could have sworn Iíve visited this blog before but after browsing through a few of the articles I realized itís new to me. Anyways, Iím definitely pleased I came across it and Iíll be book-marking it and checking back frequently!
http://orders.gazettextra.com/AdHunter/Default/Home/EmailFriend?url=https://www.contractorinorangecounty.com
You should be a part of a contest for one of the most useful websites on the net. I'm going to highly recommend this site!
http://www.faseb.org/pdfviewer?loadthis=bettersightovernight.com/
https://image.google.by/url?q=https://socalforkliftcertification.com
http://redirect.camfrog.com/redirect/?url=reedthomas.com
Aw, this was a really good post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a very good articleÖ but what can I sayÖ I hesitate a whole lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.
https://encrypted.google.com/url?q=j&rct=j&url=https3A2F2Fhighrise-agency.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg
Having read this I thought it was really enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending a lot of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
http://www.pt-br.paltalk.com/client/webapp/client/External.wmt?url=http://www.internetmarketingwashington.com/
http://foro.infojardin.com/proxy.php?link=https://www.ocrv.me/
https://ww17.yourname.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=https://aikareborn.com
http://webni.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.http://affordableranking.com
http://www.tackledummies.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.affordableranking.com
https://rms-republic.com/cgi-bin/jump/frame.cgi?url=https://www.affordableranking.com&referer=https://www.affordableranking.com
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up and the rest of the website is also very good.
https://housewren.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.http://www.affordableranking.com/
Spot on with this write-up, I truly believe this web site needs a lot more attention. Iíll probably be back again to read through more, thanks for the information!
http://www.kicksaas.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=http://www.affordableranking.com/
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thanks, However I am going through problems with your RSS. I donít know why I cannot subscribe to it. Is there anyone else having identical RSS problems? Anybody who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks!!
http://www.thehathouse.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=http://www.affordableranking.com
Great information. Lucky me I recently found your blog by accident (stumbleupon). I have saved it for later!
http://www.studivz.net/Link/Dereferer/?https://ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-san-dimas-california/
I'm extremely pleased to find this website. I want to to thank you for your time for this fantastic read!! I definitely liked every part of it and I have you saved as a favorite to look at new stuff on your website.
https://studivz.net/Link/Dereferer/?http://www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-shower-repair-near-me/
Everything is very open with a precise explanation of the challenges. It was definitely informative. Your site is very helpful. Thank you for sharing!
https://adminer.org/redirect/?url=www.ocrvluxurycoaches.com/rv-repair-shop-baldwin-park-california
Pretty! This was a really wonderful article. Many thanks for providing this information.
http://www.ww17.intstagram.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=https://ocrvcenter.com/moving-truck-collision-repair-shop-near-me
Hello, I think your web site may be having internet browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in Internet Explorer, it's got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other than that, great blog!
https://lipperhey.com/en/http://ocrvcenter.com/medical-bus-collision-repair-shop-near-me
https://kronenberg.org/download.php?download=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-oceanside-california/&filename=rpn-calculator_0.9.0.wdgt.zip&project=RPN-Calculator
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not disappoint me just as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I genuinely thought you would have something helpful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you could fix if you weren't too busy looking for attention.
https://johnnyp92t0.blogunteer.com/4713061/everything-about-business
http://www.portuguese.myoresearch.com/?URL=http://www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-kagel-canyon-california
I could not resist commenting. Well written!
https://www.go.xscript.ir/index.php?url=https://ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-santee-california
You've made some really good points there. I checked on the web for additional information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this web site.
http://www.vladinfo.ru/away.php?url=ocrvcenter.com/commercial-truck-collision-repair-shop-near-me/
http://sv.paltalk.com/client/webapp/client/External.wmt?url=https://www.ocrv.today/rv-repair-shop-monterey-park-california/
http://www.mydoterra.com/Application/index.cfm?EnrollerID=458046&Theme=DefaultTheme&Returnurl=www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-toilet-repair-near-me/&LNG=en_dot&iact=1
https://www.brivium.com/proxy.php?link=https://www.ocrv.mobi/rv-plumbing-repair-near-me/
https://www.it.paltalk.com/client/webapp/client/External.wmt?url=ocrv.biz/rv-remodeling-near-me
https://edesk.jp/atp/Redirect.do?url=https://www.bestshopnearme.com
Very good info. Lucky me I came across your blog by chance (stumbleupon). I've bookmarked it for later!
http://www.ams.ceu.edu/optimal/optimal.php?url=www.ocrv.biz/rv-repair-shop-escondido-california&refresh=1
https://www.chromefans.org/base/xh_go.php?u=http://wholesalenearme.com/
http://www.fr.paltalk.com/client/webapp/client/External.wmt?url=ocrv.fun/motorhome-refrigerator-repair-near-me
http://ericke58j6.mybjjblog.com/detailed-notes-on-generator-repair-15923049