The plane carrying Iranian scientist Sirous Asgari, who was in detention in the United States and later involved in the exchange of prisoners between Washington and Tehran, has departed from the United States to Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2020) The plane carrying Iranian scientist Sirous Asgari, who was in detention in the United States and later involved in the exchange of prisoners between Washington and Tehran, has departed from the United States to Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday.
"Good news, a plane carrying Dr. Sirous Asgari has taken off from the United States. Congratulations to his wife and family," Zarif said on Instagram.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that Asgari was expected to return to the homeland in the coming days.
Asgari was detained in the United States in 2017 on charges of violating US sanctions against Iran. Despite the fact that a US court acquitted the scientist, he was kept in a migration prison until recently under the pretext that his visa expired during the process, and Asgari allegedly turned out to be an illegal migrant in the United States. Asgari has said that he was ready to buy a ticket home by himself.
In early May, the media reported that the US would soon deport Asgari as part of a rare prisoner exchange with Tehran. Asgari, who has reportedly contracted the novel coronavirus, was placed under the medical supervision of US immigration authorities and awaited a health clearance to leave the country.
Iran is supposed to release US national Michael White, who contracted COVID-19 in a local prison. White currently remains in Iran in the care of the Swiss embassy in Tehran.
