The Iranian Regime is Holding Dual-National Citizens as Hostages

Us Secretary of State Anthony Blinken tweeted that the Iranian regime is using families with dual nationals as a “political card” and that the family of Emad Al-Sharqi, a prisoner of with dual nationals, has been waiting for the regime to release Emad for four years. Blinken called on Iran to stop the inhumane acts and release the prisoner.

In a similar message, US Republican Senator Marco Rubio called the imprisonment of the dual-national prisoner in Evin prison unfair and demanded the speedy release of Emad.
Emad al-Sharqi is one of four Iranian-American citizens detained in Iran.

Many have linked the detention of dual nationals to geopolitical tensions between Iran and European and North American countries. They argue that the case of Emad al-Sharqi and others with dual nationals are being used as “hostages” for negotiations on reviving a nuclear deal with Iran to limit its nuclear programme,

The NGO Human Rights Watch has argued that since 2014 there has been a growing practice of “politically motivated arrests” against dual nationals in Iran.