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Iranian Scientist Deported by US Arrives in Tehran, But US Officials Deny Any
Swap

Michael Lipin

   An Iranian scientist who had been under U.S. prosecution or detention
   since 2016 has arrived back in Iran after being deported by the U.S., a
   move that U.S. and Iranian officials said is not part of another
   prisoner swap between the two longtime enemies.

   Iranian state media showed images of Sirous Asgari being greeted by
   well-wishers after his arrival at Tehran's airport Wednesday morning
   local time.

   Earlier, his California-based daughter, Zahra Asgari, had announced his
   deportation by the U.S. in a Monday post on her [1]"Free Professor
   Sirous Asgari" Facebook group that she created in March.

   She wrote that she was sharing "good news" that her father was flying
   to Iran and thanked friends for supporting her campaign for his release
   from U.S. custody.

   The 59-year old materials science professor had been in the custody of
   U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since his November
   acquittal in a U.S. federal court case.

   The U.S. District Court for theNorthern District of Ohiodismissed
   charges that Asgari stoletrade secrets while working atCleveland'sCase
   Western Reserve University, ruling that prosecutors did not present
   sufficient evidence. Prosecutors had filed the indictment against
   Asgari in April 2016.

   ICE had flown Asgari between several U.S. detention centers in the
   months after his acquittal, as U.S. officials said they were trying to
   deport him to Iran but ran into difficulties in arranging passenger
   flights with the coronavirus disrupting international air travel.

   Asgari was transferred to the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield,
   Louisiana, his final stop before deportation, in March. The following
   month, he contracted the coronavirus at the facility, prompting U.S.
   authorities to say they were further delaying his departure until he
   recovered.

   In May, some U.S. media and commentators speculated that Asgari could
   be deported in return for Iran freeing Michael R. White, a Navy veteran
   whom it arrested in 2018 as he visited his girlfriend in Mashhad and
   later sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly insulting Iranian
   Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

   Iran released White into the custody of the Swiss embassy in Tehran in
   Marchafter he exhibited coronavirussymptomsbuthas refused to let him
   leave the country. Iranian government spokesman AliRabieifueled the
   speculation of White's possible release by telling state-approved news
   site Khabaronline last month that Tehran was"ready"for a full prisoner
   exchange with the U.S.

   U.S. officials dismissed the speculation, saying they were working to
   secure White's release independently ofAsgari'scase and had received no
   formal prisoner swap offers from Iran. Washington long has accused
   Tehran of unjustly holding White and several other Americans on trumped
   up charges and demanded their release. Tehran has called for the U.S.
   to release an undefined number of Iranians who have been jailed or
   restricted in their movements by U.S. courts as they faceprosecution
   buthas shown little public or private support for those individuals.

References

   1. https://www.facebook.com/groups/526361181584113/permalink/567514484135449/

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