Iran Sentences Ex-Marine to Death
Court Convicts American of Spying for CIA, Despite U.S. Denials, Allowing 20 Days for Appeal Amid Rising Tensions
By FARNAZ FASSIHI
BEIRUTâIran's Revolutionary Court sentenced a 28-year-old American and former Marine to death on charges of spying for the Central Intelligence Agency, adding another point of conflict to heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, who was born in Arizona to Iranian parents and raised in Michigan, is the first American to be sentenced to death in the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to Iranian human-rights groups.
The Obama administration denied Mr. Hekmati worked for the CIA and criticized Tehran for what it called a pattern of arresting innocent people for political reasons. Iran had spurned earlier calls by the State Department to allow Mr. Hekmati consular access through the Swiss Embassy, which handles U.S. diplomatic interests in Iran.
Among the charges against Mr. Hekmati was moharebe, or being an enemy of God, the highest crime in Islamic law and one that carries the death penalty in countries where Shariah law is practiced. Mr. Hekmati, who holds an Iranian passport, was tried as an Iranian citizen.
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency quoted Mr. Hekmati confessing to the court of working for the CIA. It wasn't clear whether the quotes attributed to Mr. Hekmati were accurate or, if accurate, made under duress. The hearing was held behind closed doors.
Mr. Hekmati's court-appointed lawyer, Mohamad Hussein Yazdi Samadi, reached by phone in Tehran, confirmed the reports of the sentence. Mr. Samadi has 20 days to appeal the verdict to Iran's Supreme Court.
Even if the death sentence is overturned, the verdict signals a hardening by Iran toward the West. In particular, in recent weeks, Tehran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil-transit route from the Persian Gulf, in retaliation for moves by the U.S. and European Union to tighten sanctions intended to force Iran to abandon its nuclear program.
Diplomats on Monday confirmed a report that Iran has begun uranium enrichment at an underground bunker, reported the Associated Press, basing their assessment on an inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Iranian government often also uses detainees for leverage with the West, U.S. officials said.
Iran in September released two American hikers it charged with espionage, after holding them for over two years and releasing a third hiker a year earlier. Mr. Hekmati was arrested in mid-September, two weeks after he arrived in Iran.
"The Iranian regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting forced confessions and of holding innocent Americans for political reasons," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
A U.S. official said that "securing the freedom and safety of this young man is the top concern of the U.S. government."
Mr. Hekmati is a decorated former Marine sergeant who trained at Camp Pendleton, studied at the defense language school in Monterey, and served in the Marines from 2001 to 2005, the Pentagon said. He served in Iraq with the 1st Marine division from April to September 2004, the Pentagon said.
After his discharge, Mr. Hekmati worked briefly for an aerospace contractor, then worked as a civilian government employee.
Mr. Hekmati worked for BAE Systems from March to August 2010 as a research manager, said company spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.
In August 2010, he left the company to work as a civilian government employee, Mr. Roehrkasse said.
Mr. Hekmati's family denied he worked for the CIA or engaged in any acts of "fighting against God" as the court found. They said his visit to Iran in August was his first, to visit his grandmothers and his ancestral homeland.
A statement by the family on Monday said they were "shocked and terrified" by the death sentence. "Amir is not a criminal. His very life is being exploited for political gain," the statement said.
Mr. Hekmati's case has followed a typical Iranian pattern of handling political detainees, said Iranian rights groups: arrest, solitary confinement, coerced confession and a predetermined trial.
From the time of his arrest Mr. Hekmati was kept without communication until December, when he appeared in a televised confession that his family said was coerced.
Coinciding with the announcement of the sentence, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Venezuela on Monday, kicking off a tour of Latin America with a meeting with President Hugo Chávez.
In calling on some of his country's few friends, Mr. Ahmadinejad appears to be trying to show Iranians that Iran still has supporters and can rely on allies to help it ease the impact of sanctions, analysts said.
"The Iranians now see this as a way to show that not all the world is against them," said Eric Farnsworth, a vice president at the Council of the Americas.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204124204577150093452170330.html
Court Convicts American of Spying for CIA, Despite U.S. Denials, Allowing 20 Days for Appeal Amid Rising Tensions
By FARNAZ FASSIHI
BEIRUTâIran's Revolutionary Court sentenced a 28-year-old American and former Marine to death on charges of spying for the Central Intelligence Agency, adding another point of conflict to heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, who was born in Arizona to Iranian parents and raised in Michigan, is the first American to be sentenced to death in the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to Iranian human-rights groups.
The Obama administration denied Mr. Hekmati worked for the CIA and criticized Tehran for what it called a pattern of arresting innocent people for political reasons. Iran had spurned earlier calls by the State Department to allow Mr. Hekmati consular access through the Swiss Embassy, which handles U.S. diplomatic interests in Iran.
Among the charges against Mr. Hekmati was moharebe, or being an enemy of God, the highest crime in Islamic law and one that carries the death penalty in countries where Shariah law is practiced. Mr. Hekmati, who holds an Iranian passport, was tried as an Iranian citizen.
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency quoted Mr. Hekmati confessing to the court of working for the CIA. It wasn't clear whether the quotes attributed to Mr. Hekmati were accurate or, if accurate, made under duress. The hearing was held behind closed doors.
Mr. Hekmati's court-appointed lawyer, Mohamad Hussein Yazdi Samadi, reached by phone in Tehran, confirmed the reports of the sentence. Mr. Samadi has 20 days to appeal the verdict to Iran's Supreme Court.
Even if the death sentence is overturned, the verdict signals a hardening by Iran toward the West. In particular, in recent weeks, Tehran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil-transit route from the Persian Gulf, in retaliation for moves by the U.S. and European Union to tighten sanctions intended to force Iran to abandon its nuclear program.
Diplomats on Monday confirmed a report that Iran has begun uranium enrichment at an underground bunker, reported the Associated Press, basing their assessment on an inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Iranian government often also uses detainees for leverage with the West, U.S. officials said.
Iran in September released two American hikers it charged with espionage, after holding them for over two years and releasing a third hiker a year earlier. Mr. Hekmati was arrested in mid-September, two weeks after he arrived in Iran.
"The Iranian regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting forced confessions and of holding innocent Americans for political reasons," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
A U.S. official said that "securing the freedom and safety of this young man is the top concern of the U.S. government."
Mr. Hekmati is a decorated former Marine sergeant who trained at Camp Pendleton, studied at the defense language school in Monterey, and served in the Marines from 2001 to 2005, the Pentagon said. He served in Iraq with the 1st Marine division from April to September 2004, the Pentagon said.
After his discharge, Mr. Hekmati worked briefly for an aerospace contractor, then worked as a civilian government employee.
Mr. Hekmati worked for BAE Systems from March to August 2010 as a research manager, said company spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.
In August 2010, he left the company to work as a civilian government employee, Mr. Roehrkasse said.
Mr. Hekmati's family denied he worked for the CIA or engaged in any acts of "fighting against God" as the court found. They said his visit to Iran in August was his first, to visit his grandmothers and his ancestral homeland.
A statement by the family on Monday said they were "shocked and terrified" by the death sentence. "Amir is not a criminal. His very life is being exploited for political gain," the statement said.
Mr. Hekmati's case has followed a typical Iranian pattern of handling political detainees, said Iranian rights groups: arrest, solitary confinement, coerced confession and a predetermined trial.
From the time of his arrest Mr. Hekmati was kept without communication until December, when he appeared in a televised confession that his family said was coerced.
Coinciding with the announcement of the sentence, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Venezuela on Monday, kicking off a tour of Latin America with a meeting with President Hugo Chávez.
In calling on some of his country's few friends, Mr. Ahmadinejad appears to be trying to show Iranians that Iran still has supporters and can rely on allies to help it ease the impact of sanctions, analysts said.
"The Iranians now see this as a way to show that not all the world is against them," said Eric Farnsworth, a vice president at the Council of the Americas.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204124204577150093452170330.html
