American detained in Iran ends 7-day hunger strike, calling it 'weapon of last resort'

Siamak Namazi, 51, began the hunger strike on Jan. 16 to mark the seventh anniversary of a prisoner swap with Iran that freed five other Americans

Siamak Namazi, a U.S. citizen who has been detained in Iran since 2015, has ended his seven-day hunger strike, according to a Monday news release.

Namazi, 51, began the hunger strike on Jan. 16 to mark the seventh anniversary of a prisoner swap with Iran that freed five other Americans while he remained detained in Evin Prison.

Namazi said last week that he was protesting to draw the attention of the Biden administration.

"I went on hunger strike because I've learned the hard way that U.S. presidents tend to rely more on their political thermometer than their moral compass when deciding whether or not to enter a prisoner deal with Iran – or indeed who to include in one," Namazi said in a statement after ending his strike. "I denied myself food for an entire week so that maybe President [Joe] Biden will recognize just how desperate the situation of the U.S. hostages here has become."

MORE: New mural calls attention to Americans held abroad as loved ones say, 'This doesn't go away'

Namazi, who is classified as wrongly detained by the U.S. government, was arrested while on a 2015 business trip to Iran for "colluding with an enemy state."

"I've been Iran's prisoner for a very long time," Namazi said in Monday's statement. "I know better than most that a hunger strike is a prisoner's weapon of last resort – to be used only if our cup of endurance has truly run over and after exhausting all other options."

PHOTO: An undated handout photo of Siamak Namazi, who has been detained in Iran's Evin Prison, since 2015.
An undated handout photo of Siamak Namazi, who has been detained in Iran's Evin Prison, since 2015.
@FreeTheNamazis / Twitter

During his seven-day hunger strike, Namazi lost around 10 pounds and his blood pressure spiked above normal levels, according to the news release. He also suffered drops in energy and lacked the ability to focus and stay warm.

In 2016, the Obama administration negotiated the freedom of five Americans detained in Iran, but Namazi was not included.

In an open letter to President Biden that announced his hunger strike last week, Namazi wrote, "Seven years and two presidents later, I remain caged in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, holding that long overdue IOU along with the unenviable title of the longest held Iranian-American hostage in History."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday, "We received the letter, and our thoughts are with Namazi and his family."

"The U.S. government is continuing to work to bring him home along with U.S. citizens who are wrongfully detained in Iran, including Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz," Jean-Pierre said then.

PHOTO: FILE - An Iranian inmate peers from behind a wall as a guard walks by at the female section of the infamous Evin jail, north of Tehran, 13 June 2006.
An Iranian inmate peers from behind a wall as a guard walks by at the female section of the infamous Evin jail, north of Tehran, 13 June 2006.
Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

A spokesperson for the State Department told ABC News after Namazi began his hunger strike last week that "our thoughts are with him and his family."

"Iran's use of wrongful detention as political leverage is outrageous, and Iran should release our wrongfully detained citizens," the spokesperson said.

Despite the negative physical effects of the hunger strike, the positive international response has renewed Namazi's hope for freedom, according to Monday's news release.

"Everyone here for the sole crime of speaking their mind and for demanding their rights and the rule of law deserves our attention and respect," Namazi said in his statement.

ABC News' Shannon K. Crawford and Cindy Smith contributed to this report.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stolen van Gogh painting worth millions recovered by Dutch art detective

Image
A Dutch art detective has helped recover a missing Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum, east of Amsterdam, in March 2020. LONDON -- A Dutch art detective has helped recover a missing Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum, east of Amsterdam, in March 2020. The "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring," painted in 1884, was stolen from the famous Dutch museum in a daring overnight smash-and-grab heist during the coronavirus lockdown. Dutch art crime detective Arthur Brand, who has spent decades tracking down some of the world's greatest masterpieces, announced on Tuesday he had recovered the stolen masterpiece. An handout picture released by Dutch art detective Arthur Brand shows a portrait of him posing with the painting title "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring", painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1884, at his home in Amsterdam on Sept. 11, 2023. Handout/ARTHUR BRAND/AFP via Getty Image MORE: Van
Read more

New dig likely buries hopes of unearthing Dutch WWII loot

An officially sanctioned hunt for a stash of precious jewelry looted by the Nazis during World War II and purportedly buried in a sleepy Dutch village has — like many previous searches — failed to unearth any treasure OMMEREN, Netherlands -- An officially sanctioned hunt for a stash of precious jewelry looted by the Nazis during World War II and purportedly buried in a sleepy Dutch village has — like many previous searches — failed to unearth any treasure. Archeologists and historians called into the village of Ommeren, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of Amsterdam, pushed a detection device called a magnetometer along a row of fruit trees and across a field Monday morning and used a mechanical digger to excavate holes in the soggy soil. They were rewarded with little more than a World War II-era bullet, some twisted scrap metal, a crumpled car wheel and muddy boots. Municipal officials hope that the failure of the team — that included members of a local historical society and
Read more

France: March, Eiffel Tower display to back Iran's activists

Thousands of Iranians in Europe have marched to the EU Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg in support of Iran’s anti-government protesters as Paris prepared an Eiffel Tower tribute to Mahsa Amini, whose death prompted the demonstrations PARIS -- Some 5,000 people marched Monday to the EU parliament in the French city of Strasbourg in support of Iran's anti-government protesters as Paris prepared an Eiffel Tower tribute to Mahsa Amini, whose death in September prompted the demonstrations. The Strasbourg march was organized by Iranians in Europe on the 44th anniversary of the day when Iran’s last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ailing and under growing pressure, left the country for ever. The following month, the monarchy collapsed under the fervor of the Islamic revolution that gave Iran its theocracy. Some of the demonstrators Monday carried photos of the former king. Last week, over 100 MEPs signed a letter calling for the European Union to take a firmer stance against Iran.
Read more