Shahram Amiri Executed on Treason Charges
Iran has executed Shahram Amiri, a highly-prominent nuclear scientist, on charges of treason for giving top secret information to the United States.
This report was confirmed by Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie who said in the Mizan Online news site, “Shahram Amiri was hanged for revealing the country’s top secrets to the enemy (US).”
Amiri was executed by hanging. This was confirmed by Amiri’s family who told the BBC that his body had been brought back with rope marks.
Amiri’s Side of the Story
Reports say Amiri disappeared in Saudi Arabia in 2009. In 2010, Amiri was spotted in the US. The nuclear scientist returned to his homeland, but the Iranian government detained Amiri since 2010.
But Amiri shared his side of the story amid speculation he was abducted at gunpoint by two Farsi-speaking CIA agents in the Saudi city of Medina.
In a video message posted online, Amiri claimed he had been abducted while in Saudi Arabia and put under “intense psychological pressure to reveal sensitive information” by the CIA.
“They took me to a house located somewhere that I didn’t know,” he said. “They gave me an anaesthetic injection.”
US Denies the Allegations
US officials denied Amiri’s claims that he was abducted by the CIA and forced to provide top secret information.
US officials told the New York Times that Amiri had provided intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program for years from inside Iran. In exchange for the information provided, Amiri received some $5 million in return.
Iran Knows Amiri’s Business in US
Iran traced the business and whereabouts of Amiri that led to his arrest and execution.
Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie said, “America was outsmarted, since he couldn’t imagine that (Iranian) intelligence services knew what he was doing and how he was taken to Saudi Arabia.”
US on Iran’s Nuclear Activity
US and Iran cut their diplomatic ties since 1980, when students stormed the American embassy following the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The United States has been skeptical about Iran’s nuclear activity. Last year, the world powers consisting of the United States, France, Britain, China, France, Russia and Iran struck what they called a landmark deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
The agreement entails Iran not continuing to enrich uranium under the agreement. Iran in exchange for the agreement will reap the benefit of the relief of international sanctions.
The U.S. has already delivered approximately $400 million, in various currencies. There is speculation this was a ransom payment for U.S. citizen hostages who were released immediately after the delivery. While waiting to depart at the airport, the hostages said they were told they would be released after another plane landed. The “other plane” apparently was the one carrying the money.
