Iran Nuclear Scientist At Center Of 'Abduction' Dispute Preparing To Leave U.S.

Iran Nuclear Scientist At Center Of 'Abduction' Dispute Preparing To Leave U.S.

13.07.2010 11:13

By RFE/RL

An official at the Iranian interests section of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington says his office is preparing travel documents for an Iranian nuclear scientist at the center of an alleged abduction dispute, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reports.

Pakistan had already confirmed that a man claiming to be the missing scientist sought refuge in that section of its embassy.

The diplomatic official in Washington, Ali Sherazi, said Amiri would be on his way home to Iran on the first available flight.

Sherazi also told Radio Mashaal that Amiri was in good health, although he said he could provide no further details.

Tehran has long claimed that Amiri was kidnapped by U.S. intelligence agents, an assertion that the United States has rejected.

U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said today that Amiri "has been here on his free will and is obviously free to go."

News agencies quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki as saying that Amiri had requested an immediate return to Iran, and that he should be allowed to leave the United States.

Sherazi, from the Iran interests section, said Amiri's photos and statement will soon be posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.

Iran has had no embassy in the United States since diplomatic relations were severed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but manages some affairs there through the Iranian Interim Interest office within the Pakistani Embassy.

Mysterious Appearance

A Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nadeem Patyala, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that a man calling himself Amiri had gone to the embassy on the evening of July 12 asking for shelter.

He gave no other details but said the matter was being dealt with by Iranian officials in the interests section, which is based in a separate building around 3 kilometers from the main embassy compound, rather than by Pakistan's diplomats.

"He was there yesterday evening, dropped [off] by somebody at 6:30 in the evening," Patyala said. He said the Iran interests section "is not the Pakistani Embassy. Pakistan has nothing to do with it other than we are working as a bridge for communication purposes with the U.S. side."

Patyala's remarks confirmed reports, first aired on Iranian state television and radio, which said Amiri was seeking immediate repatriation to Iran. The reports represent the latest twist in the mystery over Amiri, whom Tehran claims was abducted last year in Saudi Arabia during a religious pilgrimage.

Back-And-Forth Videos

A recent series of contradictory videos has further complicated the riddle.

In footage released on Iranian television in June, a man identifying himself as Amiri said he had been taken to the United States and tortured after being abducted in Saudi Arabia.

"My name is Shahram Amiri. Today is April 5, 2010. I am in Tucson, in the United States, caught up in an operation between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia," the man in the video says.

"I was kidnapped in Medina, Saudi Arabia, and injected with something. I was unconscious for several days, during which time I was transferred to the U.S. In eight months in the United States, I was subjected to the worst kinds of torture and pressure."

However, a second video posted on the video-sharing website YouTube days later showed a similar-looking man claiming to be Amiri declaring that he was free in the United States.

"I am in America and intend to continue my education in this country," he said. "I am free here and assure everyone I am safe."

In a third video, shown on Iranian television on June 29, a man describing himself as Amiri said he was in hiding and escaping from U.S. "agents" in Virginia and urged human rights groups to help him return to Iran.

"I could be re-arrested at any time by U.S. agents.... I am not free and I'm not allowed to contact my family," he said, adding that he had not "betrayed" Iran. "If something happens and I do not return home alive, the U.S. government will be responsible."

Then, in a fourth video that appeared quickly on the heels of the third one, a similar-looking man identifying himself as Amiri said he would be returning home.

U.S. officials dismissed the allegations in the broadcast. In March, ABC News reported that Amiri had defected to the United States and was helping the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

with contributions by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal correspondent Majeed Babar and additional agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_Abducted_Scientist_Seeks_Refuge_In_Pakistan_Embassy_In_US/2098186.html

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list