Posted on 01/09/2012 6:19:20 AM PST by Libloather
Iranian news reports American-born man sentenced to death
By Alicia M. Cohn - 01/09/12 08:35 AM ET
Iran has sentenced an American-born man to death on charges of spying for the CIA, according to reports on Monday.
The Iranian government announced Monday it found Amir Mirza Hekmati guilty for "cooperating with the hostile country and spying for the CIA," a crime that carries a death sentence in Iran, according to the New York Times. The announcement of his sentence was made by Fars, Iran's semiofficial news agency. Fars also aired what seemed to be a confession by the alleged.
According to Hekmati's family and friends, who live in the United States, he is not a spy and was visiting his grandmother in Iran. His family told CNN they have struggled to hire an Iranian attorney to defend Hekmati.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have heightened over the past month as Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil passageway in the Persian Gulf, and the U.S. imposed increased sanctions on the Iranian central bank.
The White House and State Department have maintained that Tehran is seeking distractions from Iran's domestic problems.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said last month in a briefing that the U.S. had called on the Iranian government to release Hekmati and allow the Swiss protecting power access to him in jail. The Iranian government had previously refused the Swiss consular access to the prisoner.
"We’ve seen this story before with the Iranian regime falsely accusing people of being spies and then holding innocent foreigners for political reasons," Toner said in December, as Iran reportedly began a closed-door trial.
Hekmati, 28, is a former Marine who was raised in Michigan.
Iranian American retired marines thats who. I hate what they've most likely done to him these last weeks.
The difference between a civilized country and a nation run by savages:
The United States rescues 30 of their citizens from pirates; Iran shows its appreciation by sentencing one of our citizens to death.
Just because. Weird Al Yankovic’s “Party in the C.I.A.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBN2dY0qiZ4&feature=related
“The difference between a civilized country and a nation run by savages:
The United States rescues 30 of their citizens from pirates; Iran shows its appreciation by sentencing one of our citizens to death.”
Thank GOD that I live in country that distinquish’s itself like we do.
At least for time being.
That sort of thing is noticed by the people involved, if not their leaders. Eastern Europe is still very friendly to the US because for many years when they were under Soviet domination, the US was the only country that spoke up on their behalf. Their “friends” in western Europe were quite content that they should continue to live in bondage.
And even older Germans were acutely aware that when the USAF bombed their cities, it very intentionally missed treasured cathedrals and places of great historical value. This struck them at a very deep level.
He has dual citizenship — he decided to keep his Iranian citizenship. Bad move.
Like North Korea , all they do is call home a sleeper.
Make news that he is a spy and win more stuff than a ten year war would ever net them.
Pretty smart.
Sleeper.
And now he will aid his nation more than a ten year ground war would.
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