Baquer and Siamak Namazi are father/son Iranian-American dual citizens. Siamak is a businessman and scholar and Baquer is a former UNICEF staff member who had previously served as governor of Iran’s Khuzestan province. On October 17, 2016, both were sentenced to ten years in prison on the charges of “collusion with an enemy state” – a reference to the United States. In September 2017, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found both to be detained arbitrarily and in violation of international law. During his detention, Baquer’s health was extremely precarious and, on October 1, 2022, he was finally allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment. Siamak was finally released in September 2023 as part of a broader diplomatic agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
Statement by Siamak Namazi upon Landing in Doha, Qatar, on the Flight From Tehran, Iran
September 18, 2023