In a post on his social media site Truth Social on Wednesday (July 15), Trump said that in December 2024, Tehran allowed an American citizen who was detained in Iran during the administration of the then US President Joe Biden to leave the country.
Trump wrote in his post, ‘He is now safely out of Iran and in good health. The United States is accepting this goodwill step of Iran with appreciation.
Human rights lawyer Jared Genser said that the name of the American citizen who was released is Dena Carrari. He could not leave Iran from December 2024.
Meanwhile, the announcement comes as military tensions between the US and Iran escalate. Amid the ongoing tension between the two countries over the Strait of Hormuz, the US has claimed to have attacked various Iranian military installations. In response, Tehran has also attacked US military bases in various countries in the Middle East.
A Pakistan-brokered framework agreement to defuse tensions between the two countries has been virtually defunct due to the recent conflict.
According to the report of the US media CNN, the White House and the Office of the Special Envoy of the President on Hostages have been contacted, but Trump has not given any more details about the release of Karari.
Genser said Karari is currently on his way back to the United States. He also appreciated the role of the Trump administration in bringing him back to the country. In his words, ‘They tried their best in every possible way.’
The lawyer claimed that Dena Carrari’s case had not come to the public before Wednesday. He went to Iran to meet family members. But on his return, his passports—both American and Iranian—were seized at the airport and prevented from leaving the country.
Genser said he was subsequently interrogated multiple times and effectively placed under a forced immigration ban.
He claimed that Karari was associated with a non-profit organization called ‘Children of Mehr Foundation’, which supported poor children in Iran through private donations and the approval of relevant US authorities. That is why he is believed to be under the surveillance of the authorities.
Jenser also said that in April this year, Karari’s immigration ban was lifted for unknown reasons and he got his passport back. After that, when negotiations between the United States and Iran began, the issue of his release was highlighted to the negotiators.
He was able to cross the border and leave Iran safely on Wednesday, his lawyer said.
TimesBD/ rabbi
