An elderly Iranian-American man, who is Jewish, is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison on charges related to his trip to Israel 13 years ago to celebrate his son’s birthday, a family member told NBC News Friday.
Kamran Hekmati (70 years old) was sentenced because Iranians are not allowed to visit Israel under Iranian law. Hekmati is one of at least four Americans currently detained in Iran, according to a source familiar with their detention who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. Hekmati’s arrest was first reported previously New York Times.
Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh has been detained in Iran since 2024.
The State Department did not directly address Hekmati’s case for privacy reasons, and a department spokesman said they were unable to provide the number of American citizens detained in Iran.
“The Iranian regime has a long history of unfair and unlawful detention of citizens of other countries,” the spokesman said. Iran must release these individuals immediately.”
Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment on his arrest.
The family member, who spoke to NBC News anonymously for fear of repercussions against Hekmati, confirmed that he traveled from his home in New York to Iran for a personal visit in May, and was arrested in July after several interrogations at the home of a relative. Hekmati suffers from bladder cancer, and his health condition is poor, according to what a family member said. His family hopes that he will be released on humanitarian grounds.
The State Department has long warned Americans against traveling to Iran, citing the increased risk of arrest.
A State Department spokesperson said: “Anyone with a connection to the United States, including American and Iranian citizens, is at high risk of being interrogated, arrested, and detained in Iran.” He added: “We continue to work with allies and partners on this issue and on cases of unfair detention in Iran in general.”