Iran Releases 53-Year-Old Dena Karari From Espionage Case as Trump Hails Goodwill Gesture
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
Iran Releases 53-Year-Old Dena Karari From Espionage Case as Trump Hails Goodwill Gesture
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
Summary
Dena Karari, a 53-year-old Iranian American, was on a flight back to the United States Wednesday after Iran lifted a more than yearlong exit ban tied to espionage charges.
Her lawyer said Iranian authorities seized her passport during a December 2024 family visit to Shiraz, then repeatedly interrogated her without jailing her while pursuing allegations of collaborating with a hostile state.
Trump announced the release first, calling it a gesture of goodwill by Iran and saying Karari was safely outside the country as the U.S.-Iran war nears its fifth month.
Genser said Karari was swept into Iran's longstanding practice of using dual nationals as political leverage; in Iran, espionage charges can bring long prison terms or even the death penalty.