The Islamic Republic of Iran has, since its early years and the Iran hostage crisis , engaged it repeated dubious detention of foreign or dual nationals.[ 1] This occurred for extended period, with long documented history of using the detained party as a bargaining piece in larger diplomatic negotiations.[ 2] The list below of current and former detainees in Iran excludes people abducted in other countries and brought into the country.[why? ]
Hostage diplomacy
Since the Iran hostage crisis , the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in a pattern of detaining foreign nationals for extended periods.[ 1] According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran , the Iranian government has used imprisoned dual and foreign-only nationals "as bargaining chips in its dealings with other nations."[ 3] Iran's repeated dubious detention of dual citizen and thereafter bargaining behavior have lead observers to qualify the practice as a case of hostage diplomacy, with a long documented history.[ 2]
Detainees
Dual nationals of Iran and another country are particularly vulnerable to arbitrary detention because the international Master Nationality Rule provides that "a State may not afford diplomatic protection to one of its nationals against a state whose nationality such person also possesses".[ 4]
According to Human Rights Watch , "Iranian authorities have violated detainees' due process rights and carried out a pattern of politically motivated arrests."[ 5] In November 2017, Reuters reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had arrested "at least 30 dual nationals during the past two years, mostly on spying charges."[ 6]
Reactions
In September 2019, on the sidelines of the Seventy-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly , families of dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran as well former dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran launched the "Alliance of Families Against State Hostage Taking."[ 7] [ 8] [ 9]
In January 2023, France called for the release of seven nationals, who were held in Iran . One of the detainees, Fariba Adelkhak was arrested in June 2019, along with her colleague Roland Marchal . While Marchal was released in 2020, but Fraiban Adelkhak remained in prison amid mounting political tensions in Iran.[ 10]
Current foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran
U.S. citizens
U.S. permanent residents
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Afshin Sheikholeslami Vatani
27 June 2020
In detention
1518
Released on bail in February 2019 but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran and then arrested again in 2020.
[ 50]
Afarin Neyssari
20 July 2016
21 July 2018
731
Released on bail but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran.
[ 25] [ 26]
Shahab Dalili
20 March 2016
In detention
3078
cooperating with a hostile government
U.S. permanent resident
[ 51]
Jamshid Sharmahd
1 August 2020
In detention
1483
journalistic activity criticizing the Islamic regime for 16 years
German citizen and U.S. permanent resident. Jimmy was kidnapped on a business trip to India and taken to Iran. He has spent the entire detention at an unknown location, in solitary confinement and after what Amnesty International calls a sham trial condemned to death.
[ 52]
[ 53]
Iran hostage crisis detainees (1979–1981)
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Notes
Cynthia Dwyer
5 May 1980
10 February 1981
281
Civilian. Freelance writer convicted on trumped-up charges of espionage and other crimes[ 54]
Mohi Sobhani
6 September 1980
4 February 1981
151
Civilian[ 55]
Thomas L. Ahern, Jr.
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Clair Cortland Barnes
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
William E. Belk
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Robert O. Blucker
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Donald J. Cooke
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
William J. Daugherty
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Robert Englemann
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
William Gallegos
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Bruce W. German
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Duane L. Gillette
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Alan B. Golacinski
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
John E. Graves
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Joseph M. Hall
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Kevin J. Hermening
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Donald R. Hohman
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Leland J. Holland
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Michael Howland
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Charles A. Jones, Jr.
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Malcolm K. Kalp
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Moorhead C. Kennedy Jr.
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
William F. Keough, Jr.
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Steven W. Kirtley
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Kathryn L. Koob
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Frederick Lee Kupke
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Bruce Laingen
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Steven Lauterbach
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Gary E. Lee
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Paul Edward Lewis
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
John Limbert
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
John D. McKeel, Jr.
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Michael J. Metrinko
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Jerry J. Miele
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Michael E. Moeller
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Bert C. Moore
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Richard Morefield
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Paul M. Needham, Jr.
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Robert C. Ode
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Gregory A. Persinger
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Jerry Plotkin
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Civilian
Regis Ragan
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
David M. Roeder
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Barry M. Rosen
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
William B. Royer, Jr.
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Thomas E. Schaefer
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Charles W. Scott
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Donald A. Sharer
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Rodney V. Sickmann
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Joseph Subic, Jr.
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Elizabeth Ann Swift
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Victor L. Tomseth
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Phillip R. Ward
4 November 1979
20 January 1981
444
Richard Queen
4 November 1979
11 July 1980
250
Wesley Williams
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
Joan Walsh
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
David Walker
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
Joseph Vincent
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
Terri Tedford
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
Neal Robinson
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
Lloyd Rollins
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
Elizabeth Montagne
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
Lillian Johnson
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
James Hughes
4 November 1979
20 November 1979
16
Kathy Gross
4 November 1979
19 November 1979
15
Ladell Maples
4 November 1979
19 November 1979
15
William Quarles
4 November 1979
19 November 1979
15
British citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Mehran Raoof
16 October 2020
In detention
1407
[ 17]
Kameel Ahmady
11 August 2019
17 November 2019
1839
Released on bail. Fled the Regime[ 56]
[ 11] [ 57]
Abbas Edalat
15 April 2018
December 2018
~230
Morad Tahbaz
January 2018
18 September 2023
~2086
Conspiring with America
Member of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. (Iranian national who also holds US and UK citizenship.)
[ 3] [ 18]
Anoush Ashoori
August 2017
16 March 2022
~2579
Convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
[ 11]
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
3 April 2016
17 March 2020 (parole within 300 metres of house)16 March 2022
2173 (part parole)
Sentenced to 5 years for ‘plotting to topple the Iranian government’.
Iran (birth)/UK (2013) dual citizen
[ 58] [ 59] [ 60]
Kamal Foroughi
5 May 2011
1 April 2020
3284
[ 61]
Ghoncheh Ghavami
20 June 2014
23 November 2014
156
[ 62]
Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht
October 2013
25 August 2017
~1424
Subject to travel ban after release. Unclear if she has been permitted to depart Iran.
[ 11] [ 63]
Andrew Barber
21 June 2010
18 August 2010
58
[ 64]
Iason Athanasiadis
17 June 2009
5 July 2009
18
Also holds Greek citizenship.
[ 65] [ 66]
Roger Cooper
7 December 1985
1 April 1991
1941
[ 67]
Frank Skinner
27 April 1981
13 April 1982
351
Flight engineer for Iran Air held without charge.
[ 68] [ 69]
Andrew Pyke
27 August 1980
28 January 1982
519
British businessman who worked for Dutch-Iranian helicopter firm, accused of spying but was never charged.
[ 68]
List of British permanent residents
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Aras Amiri
14 March 2018
16 August 2021
2354
Sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying.
[ 70]
Ana Diamond
10 January 2016
January 2018
722
Arbitrary detention, falsely accused of espionage for "MI6 , CIA , Mossad , and others."
UK Permanent Resident at the time of arrest, as well as British naturalisation application in place.
Subjected to travel ban shortly after her arrival in Iran in August 2014, ~500-days before her arrest in January 2016. Travel ban imposed again following her release from Evin prison on bail in August 2016. Acquitted of all charges and travel ban lifted in 2018.
[ 71] [ 72]
Canadian citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Kavous Seyed-Emami
24 January 2018
8 February 2018
15
Died in custody under suspicious circumstances. Authorities say he committed suicide.
[ 21] [ 73]
Abdolrasoul Dorri-Esfahani
August 2016
In detention
~2944
In May 2017, convicted on espionage charges, including "collaborating with the British secret service," and sentenced to five years in prison.
[ 14]
Homa Hoodfar
6 June 2016
26 September 2016
112
Undisclosed "security" charges
Before arrest, had been prevented from leaving country from March 2016.
[ 74]
Maziar Bahari
21 June 2009
17 October 2009
118
[ 75]
Hossein Derakhshan
1 November 2008
19 November 2014
2209
Sentenced to 19.5 years on "several national security, obscenity and religious insult charges in connection with his online activism."
[ 76]
Hamid Ghassemi-Shall
24 May 2008
23 September 2013
1948
[ 77]
Zahra Kazemi
23 June 2003
10 July 2003
17
Died in custody as a result of torture .
[ 78]
Ramin Jahanbegloo
27 April 2006
30 August 2006
125
Plotting a "velvet revolution "
[ 79]
Philip Engs
3 December 1986
8 February 1987
67
Manager of oil services company, held in solitary confinement and interrogated at Evin Prison on ““Suspicion of espionage”’, never formally charged, and then released unharmed.
Concessions were made by his employer on their contract for services with NIOC while he was detained.
[ 80]
Canadian permanent residents
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Saeed Malekpour
4 October 2008
~August 2019
~3953
Escaped Iran while on furlough from prison.
[ 81] [ 82]
Australian citizens
New Zealand citizens
Lebanese citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Nizar Zakka
15 September 2015
11 June 2019
1395
Permanent resident of the U.S. at time of arrest.
[ 11]
French citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Fariba Adelkhah
~5 June 2019
~October 2023
~1579
[ 90] [ 91]
Nazak Afshar
12 March 2016
In detention
3086
[ 11]
Benjamin Brière
26 May 2020
12 May 2023
1550
spying and propaganda, for flying a drone in an unauthorised area and making social media posts concerning Iranian law
[ 92] [ 93]
Nelly Erin-Cambervelle
21 October 2018
~21 February 2019
~123
"signing an illegal mining contract and carrying out an unauthorized trip"
Erin-Cambervelle is a businesswoman from the French Caribbean island of Martinique.
[ 94]
Stéphane Lherbier
29 November 2005
25 February 2007
453
Detained with German Donald Klein.
[ 95]
Roland Marchal
~June 2019
20 March 2020
~1910
[ 96]
Bernard Phelan
3 October 2022
12 May 2023
221
Providing information to an enemy country
French-Irish. Sentenced to 6.5 years in February 2023. Had previously been sentenced to 3.5 years, and told he would be pardoned.
[ 97] [ 93]
Clotilde Reiss
1 July 2009
16 May 2010
319
Cécile Kohler
1 May 2202
~845
"attempting to incite unrest and helping teachers strike in Iran"
[ 98]
French permanent residents
German citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Helmut Szimkus
January 1989
14 June 1994
~1756
[ 100] [ 101]
Helmut Hofer
September 1997
January 2000
852
Initially sentenced to death for having illicit sexual relations with an Iranian woman.
[ 102] [ 103]
Donald Klein
29 November 2005
12 March 2007
468
[ 95] [ 104]
Marcus Hellwig
10 October 2010
19 February 2011
132
[ 105]
Jens Koch
10 October 2010
19 February 2011
132
[ 105]
Jamshid Sharmahd
July 2020
In detention
1483
Journalistic activity criticizing the Islamic regime for 16 years
German citizen and US national. Jimmy was kidnapped on a business trip to India and taken to Iran. He has spent the entire detention at an unknown location, in solitary confinement and after what Amnesty International calls a sham trial condemned to death.
[ 15] [ 106]
Nahid Taghavi
12 October 2020
In detention
1411
on 4 June 2023, Marges Mohammadi (also detained in Iran) wrote on Instagram that Taghavi's state of health is so bad that her life is in danger.[ 107]
[ 108]
Austrian citizens
Russian citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Yulia Yuzik
2 October 2019
10 October 2019
8
[ 110]
Dutch citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Sabri Hassanpour
19 April 2016
May 2018
[ 111] [ 112]
Zahra Bahrami
27 December 2009
Executed
398
Arrested while participating in the 2009 Ashura protests . Charged with the capital crime of drug trafficking. Executed by hanging on 29 January 2011.
[ 113]
Swedish citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Ahmad Reza Jalali
24 April 2016
In detention
3043
[ 114] [ 115]
Habib Chaab
~October 2020
Executed
~947
Death sentence upheld by Iranian supreme court March 2023.
[ 116]
Johan Floderus
17 April 2023
15 June 2024
425
[ 117] [ 118]
Stefan Johansson
26 February 2006
16 April 2007
414
Convicted for espionage and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
[ 119]
Jari Hjortmar
26 February 2006
16 April 2007
414
Convicted for espionage and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
[ 119]
Finnish citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Ana Diamond
10 January 2016
January 2018
~722
Arbitrary detention, later falsely accused of espionage for "MI6 , CIA , Mossad , and others."
UK Permanent Resident at the time of arrest, as well as British naturalisation application in place.
Subjected to travel ban shortly after her arrival in Iran in August 2014, ~500-days before her arrest in January 2016. Travel ban imposed again following her release from Evin prison on bail in August 2016. Acquitted of all charges in 2017 and travel ban lifted in May 2018.
[ 120] [ 121]
Belgian citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Olivier Vandecasteele
February 2022
Released on 26 May 2023
~934
[ 122]
Diego Mathieu
16 September 2009
8 December 2009
83
[ 123]
Vincent Boon Falleur
5 September 2009
8 December 2009
94
[ 124]
Idesbald van den Bosch
5 September 2009
8 December 2009
94
[ 124]
Armenian citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Silva Harotonian
26 June 2008
10 March 2009
257
Convicted of promoting a "soft" revolution in Iran on January 19, 2009, and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
At the time of her arrest, Harotonian was an administrative officer for a maternal and child health project in Tehran for International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), a U.S. government-funded organization.
[ 125]
South African citizens
Name
Detained
Released
Days in detention
Reason for detention
Notes
Ref.
Stuart Timm
10 January 1997
17 February 1997
38
[ 45]
See also
References
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External links