The father of Siamak Namazi, the last American citizen known to be held in an Iranian prison after the January prisoner exchange, has been arrested in Iran.
Effie Namazi, Siamak’s mother, reported on Facebook on Wednesday that her husband Baquer was arrested late Monday evening in Tehran and taken to Evin prison, the same place where Siamak Namazi is being held.
“Now both my innocent son Siamak and my Baquer are in prison for no reason. This is a nightmare I can’t describe,” Effie, who lives in Iran, wrote in a Facebook post.
Ahmad Kiarostami, a close friend of the Namazi family, told The Huffington Post that Baquer was in Dubai visiting his other son when he was told to return to Iran, where he would be granted visiting access to Siamak. But when Baquer arrived at the airport in Tehran, Kiarostami said, he was arrested by Iranian officials.
His story is similar to that of Siamak, who had been living in Dubai but traveled to Iran last July to attend a funeral. When he attempted to leave Iran and return home, he was stopped by Iranian officials, who seized his passport and told him not to leave the country. After several months of periodic interrogations, officials finally arrested Siamak in October, and he has been imprisoned since then.
Siamak has not yet formally been charged with a crime, and his family says he has not had physical access to his lawyer. His family learned through his cellmate that he had begun a hunger-strike, but he relented earlier this week after his family pleaded with him to eat.
Effie wrote on Facebook that she worried her 80-year-old husband, Baquer, would not have access to the medication he needs to treat his heart condition.
Kiarostami says that like Siamak, Baquer is a dual Iranian-American citizen. After the 1979 revolution, Baquer fled to the U.S. and gained American citizenship. Payvand news reported that Baquer began working at UNICEF in New York, and later went on to represent the organization in Somalia, Kenya and Egypt. He survived a 1994 attack by militants from an Islamic extremist group who gunned down two cars carrying U.N. officials and police officers and killed five people. Baquer was in one of the cars but was not injured.
Baquer later returned to Iran, feeling the political climate was safer than when he had fled the country the previous decade. He served as the director of a nonprofit organization called Hamyaran, which his LinkedIn account shows he was affiliated with from 1998-2009.
Once Baquer was arrested, his friends began receiving strange messages from his Facebook and Gmail accounts -- a tell-tale sign that his accounts had been hacked, and often an indication that someone in Iran has been taken into custody under suspicious circumstances. Friends of Siamak reported receiving similar messages from his accounts when he was arrested.
In January, Iranian media initially reported that Siamak was set to be freed as part of a secret prisoner agreement between the U.S. and Iran, which ultimately led to the release of four Americans in exchange for the U.S. pardoning or dropping charges against seven Iranians. But Siamak, who was arrested after the secret negotiations were nearly finalized, was not included in the deal.
Secretary of State John Kerry has said that he is continuing to push for Siamak’s release, but earlier this month, Iranian-American groups wrote a letter urging him to redouble his effort. Baquer’s Monday arrest sends an ominous message about Siamak's prospects of being freed imminently, and could complicate Kerry's efforts to free him.
State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement, “We are aware of reports that a U.S. citizen was detained in Iran. The U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the protection of U.S. citizens overseas. We take our obligation to assist U.S. citizens abroad seriously. Due to privacy considerations we have no further information at this time.”
For now, all the Namazi family can do is hope.
“I pray to God that my Siamak and Baquer return home to me and that they are released,” wrote Effie. “Please keep them in your prayers.”
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.