Authorities in Tehran have released four Iranian-American prisoners from Evin prison and placed them under house arrest, a lawyer for one of those held said on Thursday.
The four include businessmen Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Shargi, 58, as well as environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, 67, who also has British citizenship. The fourth American citizen's identity has not been made public.
Jared Genser, a lawyer who represents Mr Namazi, said he hoped that the transfer to house arrest in a hotel was a step towards them eventually leaving Iran.
“While I hope this will be the first step to their ultimate release, this is at best the beginning of the end and nothing more. But there are simply no guarantees about what happens from here,” he said in a statement.
A fifth American, an unnamed woman whose detention was only recently made public, is already under house arrest.
Babak Namazi, Siamak's brother, said they would not rest until his brother and the other detained Americans were returned.
“We have suffered tremendously and indescribably for eight horrific years and wish only to be reunited again as a family,” Babak Namazi said in a press release.
Siamak Namazi has been held in Iran on espionage charges since October 2015. He has personally pleaded to President Biden to help secure his and his fellow Americans' release.
In March, he spoke by phone from inside Evin Prison to CNN, where he described his feelings of despair and asked for help from Washington.
The Namazi family's ordeal was not confined to Siamak. Baquer Namazi, Siamak and Babak's father, was arrested in 2016 after he had flown to Iran to help his son. The elder Mr Namazi was detained for years and was only allowed to leave Iran in October 2022.
Mr Shargi, a businessman from Washington, was jailed in October 2018 and Mr Tahbaz has been held since January 2018.
“We are encouraged by the development today on the conditions of our father and the other American hostages, but they are not free until they are home safely and reunited with their families,” said Tara Tahbaz, Mr Tahbaz's daughter.
They and Siamak Namazi were held on similar charges of espionage. The US government deemed their imprisonment as unjust and “wrongful” and has been working for their release for years.
Mr Genser said conditions at the hotel are expected “to be no worse” than those at Evin prison. This should mean they will be able to spend time together and make calls to family members, the press release said.
Families of Americans wrongfully detained abroad gather in Washington – in pictures
The White House confirmed the release of the four Americans and said it “will not rest until they are all back home in the United States”.
“While we welcome the news of these individuals’ release from prison to house arrest, they should never have been imprisoned in the first place,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
The National Security Council has characterised negotiations for the detainees' release as “delicate”.
The White House offered few details on the deal, but Iran confirmed the release was part of a prisoner exchange, state media reported, citing Iran's mission to the UN.
“Under the deal mediated by a third country, five Iranians jailed in the United States will be released and Iran's frozen funds in South Korea will be unblocked and transferred to Qatar,” state news agency Irna said.
The New York Times earlier reported that Washington had reached a deal that would eventually allow the detainees to leave Iran in exchange for about $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil revenue and the release of jailed Iranians.
That Washington and Tehran have got this far is “significant”, says Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group.
“They have not been able to achieve any diplomatic breakthroughs with Iran in the past two and a half years,” Mr Vaez told The National.
“This could potentially open the door for more diplomatic engagement aimed at containing the nuclear stand-off between Iran and the West.”
He cautioned, however, that a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which Donald Trump abandoned in 2018, is unlikely.
“I don't believe that the restoration of the JCPOA is on the books in the next year and a half,” he said.
“It is too close to the US presidential elections for the Iranians to consider giving up their leverage and it's also for the same reason too close to the election for the Biden administration to be willing to turn this into a political football in an electoral campaign.”
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
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Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
