US Congressmen in Germany to meet Americans released by Iran

Amir Hekmati, one of the five Americans released by Iran, said Tuesday that his freedom was “like being born again”.

Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter who was freed Saturday after nearly 18 months of incarceration in an Iranian prison, met with Post editors Monday for the first time since his release and said he was “feeling good” physically as he recovers in a US military hospital here.

LANDSTUHL, Germany — Three U.S. Congressmen traveled Monday to the medical center in Germany where three Americans, released by Iran as part of a prisoner swap, are being treated.

“Hearing about some of my fellow Marines supporting me, really gave me the strength to put up with over four years of some very hard times that me and my family went through”, Hekmati said. ‘I know people are eager to hear from me but I want to process this for some time’.

“I was at a point where I had just sort of accepted the fact that I was going to be spending ten years in prison, so this was a surprise and I feel extremely blessed to see my government do so much for me”, he said.

The fourth freed Iranian-American, whose name was given by the State Department as Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, was also offered a seat by Swiss diplomats, but he opted to stay in Iran, he said. A fifth American – a student – also was released, although his case was said to be unrelated.

The people released by the USA were accused of trying to steer around sanctions restricting trade with Iran.

But as Rezaian and the other two prisoners, Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini, were preparing to leave, no one could find Rezaian’s wife, Yeganeh Salehi, or his mother, Mary.

Kildee said Tuesday he received a message from Hekmati’s older sister, Sarah, during Monday’s press event with his fellow representatives, asking the congressman to join the family in its reunion with Hekmati. Then, in September, the country’s judiciary convicted Jason of espionage-a charge that carried a sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison.

Hekmati’s release comes four years after an Iranian court sentenced him to death; that verdict was later overturned.

In addition to encouraging Iran’s practice of capturing and imprisoning American citizens on politically-driven charges, the deal to release Rezaian and the other US captives will likely strengthen Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, Josh Rogin reported Sunday for Bloomberg View.

“It’s up to him when he wants to come home”, Kildee told MSNBC.

Kildee said the three men would return to the USA “as soon as possible”. The only thing he said was, “I was interrogated about them,”‘ Ali Rezaian told CNN. The Iranians originally sought 19 individuals as part of the exchange; US officials whittled down the number to seven.

Hekmati, a Flint native, was arrested in Iran in 2011 while visiting his grandparents. “We are pleased to see that Iran released four other Americans, and our hope is that those who remain held will soon follow.” said Frederick J. Ryan in a statement released on Sunday. Rubin pointed out that the history of engaging Iranians to negotiate the release American captives simply encourages more hostage-taking.

Speaking from Landstuhl, Germany, Hekmati also thanked those who had helped him get through his ordeal.