Iran moves 4 detained Americans from prison to house arrest

Iran moved four American detainees from a prison in Tehran to house arrest on Thursday, according to a lawyer for one of the prisoners.

Jared Genser, an international human rights lawyer, said in a statement that hostages Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, and Morad Tahbaz, along with a fourth unidentified American, were moved to house arrest from Evin Prison.

Genser, who represents Namazi, said the Namazi family has received visual confirmation of the release toward house arrest.

The name of the fourth detainee moved from prison to hour arrest could not be confirmed, according to the statement.

A fifth hostage may have also been moved to house arrest, according to the lawyer.

Genser said the Biden administration was informed Wednesday of the move.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement the U.S. was “relieved to learn” of the news and was in contact with the families.

“While we welcome the news of these individuals’ release from prison to house arrest, they should never have been imprisoned in the first place,” Miller said. “We continue to work diligently to bring these individuals home to their loved ones.  They must be allowed to depart Iran and reunite with their loved ones as soon as possible.”

Genser said the move to house arrest was an “important development” in the case.

“While I hope this will be the first step to their ultimate release, this is at best the beginning of the end and nothing more,” he said. “But there are simply no guarantees about what happens from here.”

NBC News reported the four hostages will be released in exchange for the lifting of $6 billion in assets blocked by U.S. sanctions.

In a statement, National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said negotiations are ongoing and declined to comment further on their release.

Namazi, Shargi and Tahbaz have dual Iranian-American citizenship and are being held on espionage charges.

Namazi has been held in Iran since 2015 on charges the U.S. has called specious. His father was also detained on similar charges but was released from custody last year.

Iranian officials over the spring hinted that negotiations were coming to a close.

Namazi’s brother, Babak Namazi, said in a statement he was “grateful that Siamak and the other Americans in Iran are out of Evin Prison and under house arrest.”

“While this is a positive change, we will not rest until Siamak and others are back home,” Babak Namazi said. “We continue to count the days until this can happen. We have suffered tremendously and indescribably for eight horrific years and wish only to be reunited again as a family.”

— Updated 2:04 p.m.