The Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, on Tuesday rejected speculations that jailed Iranian scientist Sirous Asgari was released and deported from the US to Iran within the framework of a prisoner exchange between Washington and Tehran
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2020) The Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, on Tuesday rejected speculations that jailed Iranian scientist Sirous Asgari was released and deported from the US to Iran within the framework of a prisoner exchange between Washington and Tehran.
"Speculations about exchanging Asgari for another person are not true-to-fact, his release was based on being exonerated," Mousavi said, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting network.
Asgari was indicted in 2016 for allegedly stealing US trade secrets and thus breaching the US sanctions against Iran. The charges against him were dropped in November and he had been awaiting deportation since then.
Both Tehran ans Washington have called for a release of prisoners amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, Iran said in May it was ready for talks on an unconditional prisoner swap with the US.
