Lawyer Urges U.S.-Iran Deal To Free Six Americans Held In Evin Prison
A U.S. lawyer is urging a U.S.-Iran deal to free six Americans held in Tehran's Evin Prison. The lawyer, representing one of those detained, said a negotiated exchange is practical and could be implemented quickly by both governments. He called it "the easiest problem on the table" for both sides, arguing that it should be a priority amid strained ties.
Evin Prison, in Tehran, houses political prisoners and foreign detainees and has long been central to Iran's use of detainees in diplomacy. Families of those held have pressed U.S. officials for action and welcomed calls for a focused, pragmatic deal.
Some analysts caution that swaps can encourage more detentions, while others say resolving these cases is a humane priority that can build limited confidence. The report did not give a timetable for negotiations or confirm whether Iran was receptive.
đ Key Facts
- Iran is holding six American citizens, with Reza Valizadeh and Kamran Hekmati publicly identified as dual nationals detained in Evin Prison.
- Lawyer Ryan Fayhee says a hostage-release agreement should be the 'easiest problem' for Washington and Tehran to resolve in current talks.
- The State Department has designated Iran a 'State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,' and the White House says Trump wants all wrongfully detained Americans freed and warns of 'dire consequences' for hostage-taking regimes.
- Valizadeh, 49, was arrested in September 2024 while visiting family and convicted of working with a 'hostile government' after reporting on Iran's 2009 protests.
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