Michael R. White is an American U.S. Navy veteran from Imperial Beach, California. In July 2018, Iranian authorities arrested him while he was visiting his girlfriend in Iran. News of his detention was first reported by IranWire in January 2019 and confirmed by The New York Times.[1][2]
In March 2019, the Iranian judiciary sentenced White to ten years in prison based on two charges: "insulting the country's top leader and posting a private photograph publicly."[3] He was held in Vakilabad Prison in the city of Mashhad.[4]
On March 19, 2020, he was released under a medical furlough on humanitarian grounds to the custody of the Swiss Embassy, conditional upon him staying in Iran.[citation needed]
The news of White's imprisonment was first revealed by a former political prisoner, Ivar Farhadi, who had been imprisoned in Mashhad Central Prison for some time and had seen White there.[2]
Release
editIn June 2020, right after the U.S. had released Sirous Asgari to Iran, White left his house arrest in Iran for Switzerland.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Iran Has Held U.S. Navy Veteran Since July, Family Says". The New York Times. January 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "Is There an Unknown American Prisoner in Iran?". IranWire. January 7, 2019.
- ^ "U.S. Navy veteran detained in Iran gets 10 years in prison, lawyer says". Reuters. March 16, 2019.
- ^ "Navy Veteran Imprisoned in Iran Was Beaten, Family Says". The New York Times. March 4, 2019.