Freed Iranian ‘poses no danger’ to US — lawyers

Attorneys for one of the Iranians freed in a prisoner swap with the United States say their client “poses no danger to the American people.”

Ali Saboonchi of Parkville, Maryland, was one of seven Iranians who were released Saturday in a negotiated exchange between the two countries.

Saboonchi had been convicted of unlawfully exporting goods to Iran in violation of international sanctions and was serving a 2-year sentence.

His public defenders, Lucius Outlaw and Elizabeth Oyer, say Saboonchi was born in the US and is raising a family here. They say his arrest and incarceration were “devastating” to his friends and family and that he’s grateful for his release.

They describe him as “a beloved and hard-working family man and American” and say “he has a bright future ahead.”

—AP