American of Iranian descent arrested after trying to escape from Iranian territory • USA: Commentator for the New York Times arrested on suspicion of serving as Iranian agent
Prisoner at Ewen Prison in Tehran // Photo: Reuters
A U.S. citizen has been arrested in Iran on suspicion of espionage and attempting to leave the country illegally, a spokesman for the judiciary in Iran, Golham Hussein Ismaili, reported today.
A Justice Department statement said the U.S. citizen, who also holds Iranian citizenship, was released on bail after being suspected of spying for the United States and was re-arrested after trying to leave the country.
The ministry statement did not provide explanations as to why the spy was allowed to roam free and no further details on the bizarre affair were released.
The move may be an act of revenge by the Iranian authorities after a well-known activist in the Iranian community in the United States was arrested a few days ago on suspicion of serving as an agent of Iran and receiving payment from her government to spread Tehran's positions in the US media.
Kava Aprasiabi, a political commentator of Iranian descent, admitted that he had indeed received payment from Iran's UN mission and said that this was done in accordance with the law. "Between religions," Apresiabi told the Jewish newspaper Algemeiner.
Apresabi held an opinion column in the New York Times and is considered an influential figure in the discourse on Iran in the United States.
He is thought to have received more than $ 250,000 from the Iranian government since 2007.
