Tehran accuses US of ‘hostage-taking’ after Iranian academic’s arrest
Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi accused of ‘acting and conspiring to act as an unregistered agent,’ faces up to 10 years if convicted; Islamic Republic slams charges as baseless
TEHRAN — Iran on Wednesday accused Washington of “hostage-taking” after the United States arrested an academic from the Islamic Republic on charges of acting as an agent of Tehran, ISNA news agency reported.
Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi was arrested at his home near Boston on Monday, and charged the next day, the US Department of Justice said.
“America’s action is a clear hostage-taking of Iranian nationals,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh was quoted as saying by ISNA.
“Americans have sadly become addicted to such actions and take hostages for any excuse,” he added.
He called Afrasiabi a “well-known university lecturer” and said the charges against him were “baseless.”
Afrasiabi was accused of “acting and conspiring to act as an unregistered agent” of the Iranian government, the US justice department said in a statement.
#BREAKING: #FBI Boston special agents have arrested Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, of Watertown, MA, for alleging acting & conspiring to act as unregistered agent of the Iranian Government. He was safely taken into custody yesterday & will make his initial appearance in Boston today.
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) January 19, 2021
His website says he had taught at Boston University. He had also been a visiting scholar at Harvard 30 years ago and at Berkeley in 2000-2001.
He has written numerous books, including on the Iran nuclear agreement, and has frequently been quoted by international media.
Afrasiabi faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Khatibzadeh expressed hope the incoming administration of US President-elect Joe Biden would “distance itself” from US President Donald Trump’s “hostage-taking approach.”
Afrasiabi’s arrest comes days after US media reported that Iranian authorities had convicted Iranian-American businessman Emad Sharqi on spying charges.
Iran and the United States have engaged in several prisoner swaps in recent years.
Wednesday also marks the 40th anniversary of the release of 52 American hostages held for 444 days at the former US embassy in Tehran, following the Islamic revolution that toppled the pro-US regime of the Shah.
The United States severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980.
