Captivity to Freedom: Inside the Incredible Stories of 3 Americans Released from Iranian Detention

The release of the Americans who were unjustly detained in Iran, which took place on Monday, marks the conclusion of a prolonged and distressing saga. This distressing ordeal included extended periods of detention in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, a facility that is infamously recognized for its long history of human rights violations.

Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, and Siamak Namazi are among the five Americans who have been released as part of a comprehensive agreement. This agreement encompasses the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar as well as the release of five Iranians who were held in US custody. The identities of the two additional Americans involved in this agreement have not yet been made public.

Namazi, an Iranian-American citizen, had been held captive in Iran since 2015. The 51-year-old was taken into custody while on a business trip to Iran and his detainment has been labeled as "arbitrary" by the UN. The Dubai resident was accused of having ties with the US, deemed to be a hostile state, resulting in a 10-year imprisonment.

{{img_placeholder_0}}

On September 18, 2023, Siamak Namazi (2nd-L) and Morad Tahbaz (R), both US citizens, received a warm welcome from the crowd as they disembarked from a Qatari aircraft at Doha International Airport in Doha. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, the country frequently targets individuals with dual citizenship and subjects them to unfounded national security charges, despite not acknowledging dual citizenship.

Namazi became the initial American citizen to be held in Iran after the global accord concerning Iran's nuclear program was declared. His father, Baquer, was likewise detained in 2016, but was subsequently set free in October 2022 for medical purposes. In 2018, Tahbaz, an environmentalist, and Sharghi, a businessman, were initially arrested.

Tahbaz, a citizen of the US, UK, and Iran, was apprehended while visiting Iran for suspicion of espionage. Before his arrest, both he and his wife were prohibited from leaving the country by an exit ban. In November 2019, he was convicted and received a 10-year prison sentence.

During an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour earlier this year, Tara, Tahbaz's daughter, provided insight into her father's character.

"So, my father has been incredibly passionate about the environment, conservation, and wildlife preservation since a young age. This passion ultimately led him to co-found the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation," she stated. "But my father is truly remarkable. He possesses an extraordinary calmness, kindness, generosity, and nobility. He is willing to move mountains to protect the people he deeply cares for. As a father, he is beyond amazing, and that fact doesn't require any explanation."

Tara Tahbaz informed CNN that her father, despite battling cancer, has faced various medical conditions during his time in prison, including three bouts of Covid-19.

Kavous Seyed Emami, a co-founder of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, was arrested in 2018 and subsequently died in prison amid controversy.

In 2018, Shargi was initially arrested during his employment at a technology investment company. Following eight months of imprisonment, he was granted bail but faced a travel ban. In November 2020, he received a 10-year jail sentence from a Revolutionary Court on charges of espionage.

Hannah Sharghi, who is Emad's daughter, regarded her father as her closest companion. When Neda Sharghi, his sister, had the opportunity to communicate with him during his release into house arrest, she informed CNN that he immediately assumed the role of a protective older brother, expressing concern for her well-being, her children's welfare, their parents' condition, as well as the welfare of his wife and their two daughters.

The convictions of both Shargi and Tahbaz were based on charges that international human rights organizations have stated as lacking evidence and being subjected to an unfair trial, as stated by the US State Department.