Family Of Iranian-American Facing Death Penalty 'Are Making A Huge Mistake,' Says Former Prisoner

Radar Online ^ | Jan 13, 2012

[nuconvert]

Iranian-American Amir Hekmati has been in prison in Iran since August 2011 but it has only been since Monday, when he was sentenced to death, that the world heard of his plight.

That five-month silence could affect whether the 28-year-old from Flint, Michigan lives or dies, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.

"His family is trying to understand the situation, but they made a huge mistake not to publicize the case at the time of his arrest," Iranian journalist Omid Memarian told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview. "If they had, this would not have happened at all."

[nuconvert]

Were they influenced by ignorants in this Adminstration?

[freedumb2003]

>>Were they influenced by ignorants in this Adminstration?<<

Iran has no fear of this sissy administration.

In the meantime, I feel bad for this guy, but going to Iran for ANY reason is flat-out stupid.

If you ask for trouble, don’t be surprised when you find it.

[susannah59]

If I wanted to learn Farsi, I think I’d give Rosetta Stone a try.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks nuconvert.

"His family is trying to understand the situation, but they made a huge mistake not to publicize the case at the time of his arrest," Iranian journalist Omid Memarian told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview. "If they had, this would not have happened at all."

[rmlew]

They made a big mistake by letting this retard former Marine go to Iran. Darwin Award stupidity.

[GOPJ]

It’s too cruel to blame the parents. Any choice might have been the right one - or the wrong one. No one’s sure how to deal with the Iranian government - with Ahmadinejad in charge, who’s to bribe? I suspect this would have been easier under Rafsanjani... Prayers for the family - prayers for the young man.

[nuconvert]

“No one’s sure how to deal with the Iranian government”

This writer is correct and the parents are Iranian & should know better. Standard procedure for getting someone out without getting them killed is to publicize it immediately and keep it in the news as much as possible. The bigger deal you make & the louder you do it, the higher the success rate in getting them out under 2 yrs.
That goes for saving an Iranian citizen from the death penalty too.

[nuconvert]

“They made a big mistake by letting this retard former Marine go to Iran. Darwin Award stupidity.”

You apparently aren’t very familiar with the story

[Lancey Howard]

but going to Iran for ANY reason is flat-out stupid. If you ask for trouble, don’t be surprised when you find it.

BUMP what you said.

[GAB-1955]

I am not an apologist for the ayatollahs, but I estimate Iran is putting pressure on this Marine and his family to get the U.S. or Israel to stop killing nuclear scientists in Iran. The war is already on, and it’s a covert war.

[MarMema]

Nice way to talk about a man who served our country as a Marine.

[MarMema]

Nice way to talk about a man who served our country as a Marine.

[MarMema]

It does seem unbelieveable that you would let your son sit in a notorious prison for four months where you just know he was in isolation, losing weight on a horrid diet, and probably being tortured - and not ask for help from the US government whom he served well.

[Irish Eyes]

It does seem unbelieveable that you would let your son sit in a notorious prison for four months where you just know he was in isolation, losing weight on a horrid diet, and probably being tortured - and not ask for help from the US government whom he served well.

How do you know that they did not ask for help from the US government? Would not surprise me if they did ask for help.

[MarMema]

The media says they kept silent because Iran told them to do so would mean the release of their son. Then after he was sentenced to death, they spoke out.

in other news, a confession

[MarMema]

The media says they kept silent because Iran told them to do so would mean the release of their son. Then after he was sentenced to death, they spoke out.

in other news, a confession

[MarMema]

They also added that they have been forced into silence by Iranian officials who had promised them their son would be released soon.

The family of Amir Hekmati, the Arizona-born ex-Marine currently held in Iran accused of being a CIA spy, said today the Iranian government told them to "remain silent" about Hekmati's arrest should they want him released.

[MarMema]

People who do cooperate and keep silence, the families keep silent, are always shocked to find out that all of the promises made were false. And in this case a death sentence is very shocking.

[cripplecreek]

I wonder if he isn’t still acting as a government employee despite the entirely reasonable denials.

[rmlew]

Nice way to talk about a man who served our country as a Marine.
I respect his service to his country, but not his judgement. Plenty of political idiots served in the militaries of their countries. This former marine went to a hostile nation, whose government is at war with America, and where paranoia about Americans justifies its oppression. What is that, if not Russian roulette?