Iran's 2018 prisoner swap proposal to the United States
Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif proposed a prisoner exchange with the United States in October 2018. As of April 28, 2019, the proposal had not receive an answer from the US.[1]
Zarif spoke of the proposed prisoner exchange between Iran and the U.S. during an interview with CBS News. He commented that the U.S. government must prove its seriousness before any negotiations commence.[2][3][4][5]
Over many years, Iran and the United States have arrested each other's citizens. For instance, Iran detained Americans on charges of spying and subversion, and the United States arrested Iranians with dual citizenship in the U.S. or other countries for violating American sanctions against Iran.[2][3][4][5][1][6]
Background[edit]
At least four American citizens have been detained in Iran and one person has been missing for 12 years. Iran accuses American citizens of spying or subversion. Similarly, the US accused them of violating American sanctions. Iranian officials stated that Iranian prisoners in the U.S. number a dozen or more.[5][7]
A State Department spokesperson told The Hill, "We call on Iran to free all U.S. prisoners, including Xiyue Wang, Robert Levinson, Siamak Namazi, and Nizar Zakka.[2][6]
Zarif said he was willing to swap British-Iranian aid worker, Nazanin Zaghari, who has been detained in Iran since 2016 because of an Iranian woman detained in Australia on a US extradition request. Negar Ghodskani was captured in Australia and gave birth to a child in prison.[3][4][7] "We have people with heart conditions. We have people with terminal cancer in there (prison)."[7]
Zarif stated, "let's exchange prisoners without any kind of guilt and help them to go back home. The United States cannot play a moral role when negotiating about prisoners start with Iran. Iran has already received a letter from Robert O'Brien, the US special envoy for Hostage Affairs, which requests their prisoners' release, but the request was dismissed, because of O'Brien’s lower diplomatic rank at that time.[7]
Proposal[edit]
According to Reuters News agency, Zarif was proposing “a serious dialogue” with the United States on a possible prisoner swap.[3][6] He said that Iran had responded to a possible offer that the US had made about prisoner exchange about six month ago, but hadn't received any reply.[2][3][4][5]
Zarif said, "There are many Iranian who detained in the United States for phony charges, also the United States has repeated our claim about his prisoners in Iran, too. The exchange offer that I made was about all prisoners who have been detained in the United States or elsewhere in the world by American request. Let's have only a prisoner exchange and don't speak about that claim."[3][4][5]
Zarif, in an interview with CBS said that before prisoner exchange negotiations, the US must prove that it is serious. When asked about how Iran would show its own seriousness, Zarif said that Iran never needed to show its seriousness because they had shown their seriousness via the nuclear deal. The US has shown that when they speak about something they only say they are willing, but that they would only later decide whether to abide by it.[2][6]
That was the first time that Zarif had made a proposal to US government openly during the Trump presidency amid worsening relationship between the two countries since 2016.[5] According to Time, if a new prisoner exchange occurs, it could follow the 2016 example, in which Washington Post Iran bureau chief Jason Rezaian was released as part of an exchange and the US agreed to free seven Iranians held on sanctions-related charges.[4]
Reactions[edit]
A State Department spokesperson told The Hill that If the Iranian government was really serious, it would release "innocent U.S. persons. However two countries had been consular issues, but after that Iranian released US prisoners, we will work on releasing Iranians who have been indicted or convicted of criminal violations of US sanctions laws."[2][6]
Xiyue Wang's wife, Hua Qu, said in an email, “My husband did nothing wrong or illegal and I would encourage all governments to come together so he can be released and come home to us."[5]
A spokesman for Michael R. White's family, Jonathan Franks, said, "we’re in favor of the United States taking any reasonable step that might bring about Michael’s release.”[5]
The relatives of Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran, responded to Zarif’s proposal, “We like to see our father at home after 12 years and we hope each side help us. Nobody know where is our father, please let solve this issue forever.”[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "US needs to prove seriousness over prisoner swap negotiations". en.mehrnews.com. Mehr News. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Frazin, Rachel (27 April 2019). "Iran's foreign minister says U.S. must 'prove that it's serious' ahead of prisoner swap negotiations". thehill.com. The Hill. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Nichols, Michelle; Wroughton, Lesley (24 April 2019). "Iran's Zarif warns U.S. of 'consequences' over oil sanctions, offer prisoner swap". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Leung, Hillary (25 April 2019). "Iranian Foreign Minister Proposes a Prisoner Swap With the U.S." time.com. Time. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Gladstone, Rick (24 April 2019). "Iran's Foreign Minister Proposes Prisoner Exchange With U.S." nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Iran's FM Zarif Says US Must 'Prove It's Serious' About Prisoner Swap Talks". sputniknews.com. Sputnik. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Iran Made No Offer, Responded to US Call for Prisoner Swap: Zarif". tasnimnews.com. Tasnim News. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
This article "Iran's 2018 prisoner swap proposal to the United States" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Iran's 2018 prisoner swap proposal to the United States. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
