Amir Hekmati is a former Marine from Flint, Michigan.
More than two and a half years ago, while visiting family in Iran, Hekmati was arrested and charged with espionage. His initial death sentence was overturned, but now reports have surfaced that Hekmati was secretly retried in December 2013.
He was convicted of "partial collaboration with the American government," and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
According to a recent New York Times article by Thomas Erdbrink, Hekmati's lawyer made a statement that confirms the retrial and conviction of Hekmati. Hekmati, nor his lawyer, knew that the retrial was taking place.
The lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, also said his client had never been informed about the retrial, conviction or sentence. Mr. Tabatabaei said he learned this information only recently in discussions with judiciary officials, which he shared by telephone with Mr. Hekmati, who is incarcerated in Tehran's Evin prison, and with family members at Mr. Hekmati's home in Flint, Mich.
Amir Hekmati's sister, Sarah Hekmati, joined us to give us an update on the latest in the case.
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– Paige Pfleger, Michigan Radio Newsroom
