A man from Weston is among a group of five Americans that were allegedly wrongfully imprisoned in Iran, according to Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal.
Morad Tahbaz was recently released from Evin Prison and is now under house arrest, according to Blumenthal.
“While I am thrilled Morad Tahbaz has been released from Evin Prison, I still unequivocally demand his release to the U.S. and back into the arms of his family. Despite moving to house arrest, Morad remains wrongfully detained and I will not rest until he is finally freed," Blumenthal said.
Tahbaz and four other Americans were placed under house arrest in the first step of a planned prisoner exchange between Tehran and Washington, D.C. If the agreement goes through, it would include the release of roughly $6 million in Iranian government assets blocked under sanctions, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.
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Iran would also be allowed to access the funds to buy food, medicine or other humanitarian purposes, in accordance with existing U.S. sanctions against the country. The agreement could take weeks to carry out, and Qatar’s central bank will oversee the funds, the sources told NBC News.
Murphy, who is the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, said he will do everything in his power to bring Tahbaz and four others home.
“I have worked nonstop with Senator Blumenthal and Congressman Himes to get Morad and his fellow detainees released, and I’m thrilled that this day has arrived. Nevertheless, we will not breathe easy until Morad and Vida are home with their family in Connecticut," Murphy said.
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Vida Tahbaz is Morad's wife, who has also been unjustly held in Iran, but not imprisoned, according to Murphy.
