List of foreign nationals detained in Iran

Last updated

Since the Iran hostage crisis, the Islamic Republic of Iran has engaged in a pattern of detaining foreign nationals for extended periods. [1] Dual nationals of Iran and another country are particularly vulnerable to arbitrary detention because the international Master Nationality Rule provides that "a State may not afford diplomatic protection to one of its nationals against a state whose nationality such person also possesses". [2] According to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, the Iranian government has used imprisoned dual and foreign-only nationals "as bargaining chips in its dealings with other nations." [3]

Contents

In November 2017, Reuters reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had arrested "at least 30 dual nationals during the past two years, mostly on spying charges." [4] According to Human Rights Watch, "Iranian authorities have violated detainees' due process rights and carried out a pattern of politically motivated arrests." [5]

In September 2019, on the sidelines of the Seventy-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly, families of dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran as well former dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran launched the "Alliance of Families Against State Hostage Taking." [6] [7] [8]

In January 2023, France called for the release of seven nationals, who were held in Iran. One of the detainees, Fariba Adelkhak was arrested in June 2019, along with her colleague Roland Marchal. While Marchal was released in 2020, but Fraiban Adelkhak remained in prison amid mounting political tensions in Iran. [9]

This list of current and former detainees in Iran excludes people abducted in other countries and brought into the country.

Current foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran

NameDetainedCitizenshipDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Nazak Afshar 12 March 2016France2889 [10]
Ahmad Reza Jalali 24 April 2016Sweden2846 [11] [12]
Abdolrasoul Dorri-Esfahani August 2016Canada~2747In May 2017, convicted on espionage charges, including "collaborating with the British secret service," and sentenced to five years in prison. [13]
Jamshid Sharmahd July 2020Germany1290U.S. permanent resident. Sentenced to death February 2023. [14]
Nahid Taghavi 16 October 2020Germany [15]
Mehran Raoof16 October 2020UK [16]
Johan Floderus 17 April 2022Sweden662 [17]

U.S. citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Masoud Jamali Ashtiani 20 May 201220 May 2013365propaganda against the regime41 days in solidarity confinement[ citation needed ]
Emad Shargi 30 November 202018 September 20231022Espionage / SpyingMember of [18] in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. Had been sentenced to 10 years in January 2021. Had previously been cleared in December 2019. (Iranian national who also holds US citizenship.) [19] [20] [18]
Michael White July 201819 March 2020~2048 [10]
Morad Tahbaz January 201818 September 2023~2086Conspiring with AmericaMember of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. (Iranian national who also holds US and UK citizenship.) [21] [22] [18]
Xiyue Wang 8 August 20167 December 20191216 [23]
Gholamreza (Reza) "Robin" Shahini 11 July 201621 March 2017253 [24]
Karan Vafadari 20 July 201621 July 2018731Released on bail but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran. [25] [26] [22]
Baquer Namazi 22 February 20161 October 20222908Released during the Mahsa Amini protests [27] [28]
Siamak Namazi 13 October 201518 September 20232895spyingMember of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. (Iranian national who also holds US citizenship.) [29] [30] [22] [18]
Nosratollah Khosravi-RoodsariMay 201516 January 2016~260 [31]
Matthew Trevithick 7 December 201516 January 201639 [32]
Jason Rezaian 22 July 201416 January 2016543 [33] [34]
Saeed Abedini 28 July 201216 January 20161277 [34] [35]
Afsaneh Azadeh 13 May 2012September 2012~111Azadeh was released from detention to house arrest from September 2012 – November 2012. She was not permitted to leave the country until May 2013. [36]
Amir Hekmati 29 August 201116 January 20161601 [34] [37]
Joshua Fattal 31 July 200921 September 2011782
Shane Bauer 31 July 200921 September 2011782
Sarah Shourd 31 July 200914 September 2010410
Roxana Saberi 31 January 200911 May 2009100 [38]
Esha Momeni 15 October 200810 November 200826Momeni was released on bail in November 2008 but she was not permitted to leave Iran until August 2009. [39]
Reza Taghavi May 200816 October 2010~898 [40]
Nik Moradi 31 October 200715 April 2008167 [41]
Kian Tajbakhsh 11 May 200719 September 2007140
Ali Shakeri 8 May 200725 September 2007140
Haleh Esfandiari 8 May 200721 August 2007105 [42] [43]
Robert Levinson (alleged)9 March 2007Presumed dead 25 March 2020>1333 (alleged)U.S. agent working for the CIA who disappeared on Kish Island. Proof of life in captivity in an unknown location was received in November 2010, but Iran has never acknowledged his arrest or detention; he was presumed dead in March 2020. [10]
Dariush Zahedi 10 July 20039 November 2003122 [44]
Daniel Baumann 10 January 199716 March 199765Dual U.S.-Swiss citizen. Arrested with South African Stuart Timm. [45]
Gerald Seib 31 January 19874 February 19874Wall Street Journal reporter who had been visiting Iran with a group of journalists. [46]
Jon Pattis 16 June 1986October 1991~1933Sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1987 for espionage. [47] [48]
David Rabhan 19806 August 1990~3832 [49]

U.S. permanent residents

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Afshin Sheikholeslami Vatani 27 June 2020In detention1321Released on bail in February 2019 but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran and then arrested again in 2020. [50]
Afarin Neyssari 20 July 201621 July 2018731Released on bail but reportedly has not been permitted to leave Iran. [25] [26]
Shahab Dalili20 March 2016In detention2881cooperating with a hostile governmentU.S. permanent resident [51]
Jamshid Sharmahd 1 August 2020In detention1286journalistic activity criticizing the Islamic regime for 16 yearsGerman citizen and U.S. permanent resident. Jimmy was kidnapped on a business trip to India and taken to Iran. He has spent the entire detention at an unknown location, in solitary confinement and after what Amnesty International calls a sham trial condemned to death. [52]

[53]

Iran hostage crisis detainees (1979 - 1981)

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionNotes
Cynthia Dwyer5 May 198010 February 1981281Civilian. Freelance writer convicted on trumped-up charges of espionage and other crimes [54]
Mohi Sobhani6 September 19804 February 1981151Civilian [55]
Thomas L. Ahern, Jr.4 November 197920 January 1981444
Clair Cortland Barnes4 November 197920 January 1981444
William E. Belk4 November 197920 January 1981444
Robert O. Blucker4 November 197920 January 1981444
Donald J. Cooke4 November 197920 January 1981444
William J. Daugherty4 November 197920 January 1981444
Robert Englemann4 November 197920 January 1981444
William Gallegos4 November 197920 January 1981444
Bruce W. German4 November 197920 January 1981444
Duane L. Gillette4 November 197920 January 1981444
Alan B. Golacinski4 November 197920 January 1981444
John E. Graves4 November 197920 January 1981444
Joseph M. Hall4 November 197920 January 1981444
Kevin J. Hermening4 November 197920 January 1981444
Donald R. Hohman4 November 197920 January 1981444
Leland J. Holland4 November 197920 January 1981444
Michael Howland4 November 197920 January 1981444
Charles A. Jones, Jr.4 November 197920 January 1981444
Malcolm K. Kalp4 November 197920 January 1981444
Moorhead C. Kennedy, Jr.4 November 197920 January 1981444
William F. Keough, Jr.4 November 197920 January 1981444
Steven W. Kirtley4 November 197920 January 1981444
Kathryn L. Koob4 November 197920 January 1981444
Frederick Lee Kupke4 November 197920 January 1981444
Bruce Laingen 4 November 197920 January 1981444
Steven Lauterbach4 November 197920 January 1981444
Gary E. Lee4 November 197920 January 1981444
Paul Edward Lewis4 November 197920 January 1981444
John Limbert 4 November 197920 January 1981444
John D. McKeel, Jr.4 November 197920 January 1981444
Michael J. Metrinko4 November 197920 January 1981444
Jerry J. Miele4 November 197920 January 1981444
Michael E. Moeller4 November 197920 January 1981444
Bert C. Moore4 November 197920 January 1981444
Richard Morefield4 November 197920 January 1981444
Paul M. Needham, Jr.4 November 197920 January 1981444
Robert C. Ode4 November 197920 January 1981444
Gregory A. Persinger4 November 197920 January 1981444
Jerry Plotkin4 November 197920 January 1981444Civilian
Regis Ragan4 November 197920 January 1981444
David M. Roeder4 November 197920 January 1981444
Barry M. Rosen 4 November 197920 January 1981444
William B. Royer, Jr.4 November 197920 January 1981444
Thomas E. Schaefer4 November 197920 January 1981444
Charles W. Scott4 November 197920 January 1981444
Donald A. Sharer4 November 197920 January 1981444
Rodney V. Sickmann4 November 197920 January 1981444
Joseph Subic, Jr.4 November 197920 January 1981444
Elizabeth Ann Swift4 November 197920 January 1981444
Victor L. Tomseth 4 November 197920 January 1981444
Phillip R. Ward4 November 197920 January 1981444
Richard Queen 4 November 197911 July 1980250
Wesley Williams4 November 197920 November 197916
Joan Walsh4 November 197920 November 197916
David Walker4 November 197920 November 197916
Joseph Vincent4 November 197920 November 197916
Terri Tedford4 November 197920 November 197916
Neal Robinson4 November 197920 November 197916
Lloyd Rollins4 November 197920 November 197916
Elizabeth Montagne4 November 197920 November 197916
Lillian Johnson4 November 197920 November 197916
James Hughes4 November 197920 November 197916
Kathy Gross4 November 197919 November 197915
Ladell Maples4 November 197919 November 197915
William Quarles4 November 197919 November 197915

British citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Mehran Raoof16 October 2020In detention1210 [16]
Kameel Ahmady 11 August 201917 November 20191642Released on bail. Fled the Regime [56] [10] [57]
Abbas Edalat 15 April 2018December 2018~230
Morad Tahbaz January 201818 September 2023~2086Conspiring with AmericaMember of group of 5 released in Sept 2023 in exchange for 5 U.S. prisoners and unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. (Iranian national who also holds US and UK citizenship.) [3] [18]
Anoush Ashoori August 201716 March 2022~2382Convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and sentenced to 12 years in prison. [10]
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 3 April 201617 March 2020 (parole within 300 metres of house)
16 March 2022
2173 (part parole)Sentenced to 5 years for ‘plotting to topple the Iranian government’.Iran (birth)/UK (2013) dual citizen [58] [59] [60]
Kamal Foroughi 5 May 20111 April 20203284 [61]
Ghoncheh Ghavami 20 June 201423 November 2014156 [62]
Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht October 201325 August 2017~1424Subject to travel ban after release. Unclear if she has been permitted to depart Iran. [10] [63]
Andrew Barber21 June 201018 August 201058 [64]
Iason Athanasiadis17 June 20095 July 200918Also holds Greek citizenship. [65] [66]
Roger Cooper 7 December 19851 April 19911941 [67]
Frank Skinner27 April 198113 April 1982351Flight engineer for Iran Air held without charge. [68] [69]
Andrew Pyke27 August 198028 January 1982519British businessman who worked for Dutch-Iranian helicopter firm, accused of spying but was never charged. [68]

List of British permanent residents

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Aras Amiri 14 March 201816 August 20212157Sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying. [70]
Ana Diamond 10 January 2016January 2018722Arbitrary detention, falsely accused of espionage for "MI6, CIA, Mossad, and others."UK Permanent Resident at the time of arrest, as well as British naturalisation application in place.

Subjected to travel ban shortly after her arrival in Iran in August 2014, ~500-days before her arrest in January 2016. Travel ban imposed again following her release from Evin prison on bail in August 2016. Acquitted of all charges and travel ban lifted in 2018.

[71] [72]

Canadian citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Kavous Seyed-Emami 24 January 20188 February 201815Died in custody under suspicious circumstances. Authorities say he committed suicide. [21] [73]
Abdolrasoul Dorri-Esfahani August 2016In detention~2747In May 2017, convicted on espionage charges, including "collaborating with the British secret service," and sentenced to five years in prison. [13]
Homa Hoodfar 6 June 201626 September 2016112Undisclosed "security" chargesBefore arrest, had been prevented from leaving country from March 2016. [74]
Maziar Bahari 21 June 200917 October 2009118 [75]
Hossein Derakhshan 1 November 200819 November 20142209Sentenced to 19.5 years on "several national security, obscenity and religious insult charges in connection with his online activism." [76]
Hamid Ghassemi-Shall 24 May 200823 September 20131948 [77]
Zahra Kazemi 23 June 200310 July 200317Died in custody as a result of torture. [78]
Ramin Jahanbegloo 27 April 200630 August 2006125Plotting a "velvet revolution" [79]
Philip Engs 3 December 19868 February 198767Manager of oil services company, held in solitary confinement and interrogated at Evin Prison on ““Suspicion of espionage”’, never formally charged, and then released unharmed.Concessions were made by his employer on their contract for services with NIOC while he was detained. [80]

Canadian permanent residents

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Saeed Malekpour 4 October 2008~August 2019~3953Escaped Iran while on furlough from prison. [81] [82]

Australian citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Jolie King ~1 July 2019~5 October 2019~96Also holds British citizenship. [10] [83]
Mark Firkin ~1 July 2019~5 October 2019~96 [10] [83]
Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi December 2018~27 January 2019~57Iranian authorities have reportedly prevented her from leaving the country. [84] [85]
Kylie Moore-Gilbert September 2018November 2020~792EspionageAlso holds British citizenship. [86] [87]

New Zealand citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Topher Richwhite ~9 July 2022~27 October 2022~110Well-known New Zealand citizen from Expedition Earth. [88]
Bridget Thackwray ~9 July 2022~27 October 2022~110Well-known New Zealand citizen from Expedition Earth. [89]

Lebanese citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Nizar Zakka 15 September 201511 June 20191395Permanent resident of the U.S. at time of arrest. [10]

French citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Fariba Adelkhah ~5 June 2019~October 2023~1579 [90] [91]
Nazak Afshar 12 March 2016In detention2889 [10]
Benjamin Brière 26 May 202012 May 20231353spying and propaganda, for flying a drone in an unauthorised area and making social media posts concerning Iranian law [92] [93]
Nelly Erin-Cambervelle21 October 2018~21 February 2019~123"signing an illegal mining contract and carrying out an unauthorized trip"Erin-Cambervelle is a businesswoman from the French Caribbean island of Martinique. [94]
Stéphane Lherbier 29 November 200525 February 2007453Detained with German Donald Klein. [95]
Roland Marchal ~June 201920 March 2020~1713 [96]
Bernard Phelan3 October 202212 May 2023221Providing information to an enemy countryFrench-Irish. Sentenced to 6.5 years in February 2023. Had previously been sentenced to 3.5 years, and told he would be pardoned. [97] [93]
Clotilde Reiss 1 July 200916 May 2010319

French permanent residents

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Ruhollah Zam ~11 October 2019Executed~1581 [98]

German citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Helmut SzimkusJanuary 198914 June 1994~1952 [99] [100]
Helmut HoferSeptember 1997January 2000852Initially sentenced to death for having illicit sexual relations with an Iranian woman. [101] [102]
Donald Klein29 November 200512 March 2007468 [95] [103]
Marcus Hellwig 10 October 201019 February 2011132 [104]
Jens Koch 10 October 201019 February 2011132 [104]
Jamshid Sharmahd July 2020In detention1286Journalistic activity criticizing the Islamic regime for 16 yearsGerman citizen and US national. Jimmy was kidnapped on a business trip to India and taken to Iran. He has spent the entire detention at an unknown location, in solitary confinement and after what Amnesty International calls a sham trial condemned to death. [14] [105]
Nahid Taghavi 12 October 2020In detention1214on 4 June 2023, Marges Mohammadi (also detained in Iran) wrote on Instagram that Taghavi's state of health is so bad that her life is in danger. [106] [107]

Austrian citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Massud Mossaheb January 2019In detention~1864 [108]
Kamran Ghaderi 2 January 2016In detention2959 [10]

Russian citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Yulia Yuzik 2 October 201910 October 20198 [109]

Dutch citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Sabri Hassanpour 19 April 2016May 2018 [110] [111]
Zahra Bahrami 27 December 2009Executed398Arrested while participating in the 2009 Ashura protests. Charged with the capital crime of drug trafficking. Executed by hanging on 29 January 2011. [112]

Swedish citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Johan Floderus 17 April 2023In detention297 [17]
Ahmad Reza Jalali 24 April 2016In detention2846 [113] [114]
Habib Chaab ~October 2020Executed~947Death sentence upheld by Iranian supreme court March 2023. [115]
Stefan Johansson26 February 200616 April 2007414Convicted for espionage and sentenced to 3 years in prison. [116]
Jari Hjortmar26 February 200616 April 2007414Convicted for espionage and sentenced to 3 years in prison. [116]

Finnish citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Ana Diamond 10 January 2016January 2018~722Arbitrary detention, later falsely accused of espionage for "MI6, CIA, Mossad, and others."UK Permanent Resident at the time of arrest, as well as British naturalisation application in place.

Subjected to travel ban shortly after her arrival in Iran in August 2014, ~500-days before her arrest in January 2016. Travel ban imposed again following her release from Evin prison on bail in August 2016. Acquitted of all charges in 2017 and travel ban lifted in May 2018.

[117] [118]

Belgian citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Olivier Vandecasteele February 2022Released on 26 May 2023~737 [119]
Diego Mathieu16 September 20098 December 200983 [120]
Vincent Boon Falleur5 September 20098 December 200994 [121]
Idesbald van den Bosch5 September 20098 December 200994 [121]

Armenian citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Silva Harotonian 26 June 200810 March 2009257Convicted of promoting a "soft" revolution in Iran on January 19, 2009, and sentenced to 3 years in prison.At the time of her arrest, Harotonian was an administrative officer for a maternal and child health project in Tehran for International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), a U.S. government-funded organization. [122]

South African citizens

NameDetainedReleasedDays in detentionReason for detentionNotesRef.
Stuart Timm10 January 199717 February 199738 [45]

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