Missing Iranian nuclear scientist returns home from U.S. - agency
13:38 14/07/2010 MOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) - Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, thought to have been abducted by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has left the United States and is on his way to the Islamic Republic, ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
Amiri disappeared during an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Aarabia, in early June 2009. Tehran accused the CIA of abducting the scientist because of his involvement in suspected Iranian nuclear weapons program.
Media reports on Tuesday said that Amiri had resurfaced at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, which represents Iran's interests in the United States, and was seeking assistance to return to Tehran.
"Shahram Amiri has left the U.S. territory a few minutes ago to arrive in Iran through the third country by efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan Embassy in Washington," ISNA quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast as saying.
He said the 35-year-old scientist is in good physical and mental condition.
Before disappearing in 2009, Amiri worked as an expert on radioactive isotopes for medical use at Malek-Ashtar University of Technology in Tehran. Iranian officials repeatedly denied his involvement in the country's nuclear program.
Some western media sources suggested that Amiri had sought asylum abroad and chosen to cooperate with the CIA.
International pressure on Iran, suspected by the West of pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, increased in early February when Tehran announced it had begun enriching uranium to 20% in lieu of an agreement on an exchange that would provide it with fuel for a research reactor.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
