Tehran has submitted what it claims to be “evidence” that U.S. intelligence officials kidnapped an Iranian nuclear scientist while he was on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The documents have been submitted to the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told the English language Iranian media Press TV.
“We expect that based on the U.S. administration’s obligations ... the U.S. authorities will announce the results of their investigation regarding this Iranian national,” said Mehmanparast.
The Swiss Embassy manages U.S. interests in Iran, since Washington does not have direct diplomatic ties with Tehran.
The announcement comes after claims by Iranian officials that nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri was abducted by U.S. agents last year while he was performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
On June 29, Iranian media aired what it said was a video of Amiri claiming that he had escaped from the CIA and was now on the run in the state of Virginia.
It followed two other videos released three weeks ago. In one he claimed that he had been kidnapped, while in the other he said that he was living freely in Arizona.
U.S. officials have vehemently rejected allegations that the CIA was behind Amiri’s disappearance.
“The United States has not kidnapped him [Amiri] from Saudi Arabia,” said state department spokesman Philip Crowley on June 30.
ABC News reported in March that Amiri, who is believed to have firsthand knowledge of Iran’s nuclear program, had defected and was now helping U.S. intelligence agencies.
In the video, the man claiming to be Amiri said, “I, Shahram Amiri, am a national of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a few minutes ago I succeeded in escaping U.S. security agents in Virginia.
“Presently, I am producing this video in a safe place. I could be rearrested at any time.”
He added that the first video, in which he claims that he had been tortured by intelligence agencies in the U.S., was true.
In the latest video, he said that the second video was a fabrication by the U.S. government.
“I am not free here and I am not permitted to contact my family,” he said in the third video. “If something happens and I do not return home alive, the U.S. government will be responsible.
“I was not prepared to betray my country under any kind of threats or bribery by the U.S. government.”
The U.S. government has questioned the authenticity of the videos.
“It’s ludicrous for anyone to suggest that this individual was kidnapped by the United States,” a U.S. official in Washington told Reuters.
“If he’s able to produce videos, it defies human logic to allege that he’s somehow been held against his will by Americans.”
Iranian media said that Amiri was a researcher at a university in Tehran. However, other news media have claimed that he was a scientist with close knowledge of Iran’s nuclear program.
The documents have been submitted to the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told the English language Iranian media Press TV.
“We expect that based on the U.S. administration’s obligations ... the U.S. authorities will announce the results of their investigation regarding this Iranian national,” said Mehmanparast.
The Swiss Embassy manages U.S. interests in Iran, since Washington does not have direct diplomatic ties with Tehran.
The announcement comes after claims by Iranian officials that nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri was abducted by U.S. agents last year while he was performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
On June 29, Iranian media aired what it said was a video of Amiri claiming that he had escaped from the CIA and was now on the run in the state of Virginia.
It followed two other videos released three weeks ago. In one he claimed that he had been kidnapped, while in the other he said that he was living freely in Arizona.
U.S. officials have vehemently rejected allegations that the CIA was behind Amiri’s disappearance.
“The United States has not kidnapped him [Amiri] from Saudi Arabia,” said state department spokesman Philip Crowley on June 30.
ABC News reported in March that Amiri, who is believed to have firsthand knowledge of Iran’s nuclear program, had defected and was now helping U.S. intelligence agencies.
In the video, the man claiming to be Amiri said, “I, Shahram Amiri, am a national of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a few minutes ago I succeeded in escaping U.S. security agents in Virginia.
“Presently, I am producing this video in a safe place. I could be rearrested at any time.”
He added that the first video, in which he claims that he had been tortured by intelligence agencies in the U.S., was true.
In the latest video, he said that the second video was a fabrication by the U.S. government.
“I am not free here and I am not permitted to contact my family,” he said in the third video. “If something happens and I do not return home alive, the U.S. government will be responsible.
“I was not prepared to betray my country under any kind of threats or bribery by the U.S. government.”
The U.S. government has questioned the authenticity of the videos.
“It’s ludicrous for anyone to suggest that this individual was kidnapped by the United States,” a U.S. official in Washington told Reuters.
“If he’s able to produce videos, it defies human logic to allege that he’s somehow been held against his will by Americans.”
Iranian media said that Amiri was a researcher at a university in Tehran. However, other news media have claimed that he was a scientist with close knowledge of Iran’s nuclear program.
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