The dual national is among a handful of Iranian-Americans reported to be held by Iran, which has been accused by rights activists of arresting dual nationals to try to win concessions from other countries. "The defendant had been free on bail ... and was arrested as he tried to leave the country," Esmaili told a news conference streamed live on a government website. "This person... faced charges from earlier in the area of spying and gathering information for foreign countries," he said. But Iranian media reports said a businessman identified as Emad Shargi had been arrested as he tried to escape through a western border. Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals over recent years, mostly on espionage charges.

Source: bd News24 January 26, 2021 09:56 UTC