Political Quotes

“Mr. President, in Flint, MI, a family anxiously awaits word of when their son and brother will return to them. For more than 600 days, Amir Hekmati has been imprisoned in Iran, accused of spying for the United States. His capture, detention, trial and sentencing have brought great anxiety to his loved ones here in the United States. Amir, who spent much of his childhood in Michigan and whose family still lives there, was visiting relatives in Iran in August of 2011 when he was arrested by Iranian police. In January of 2012, an Iranian trial court sentenced him to death. But on March 5, 2012, Iran's Supreme Court overturned that sentence, ruled Amir's trial had been flawed and ordered a new trial. That was more than a year ago, and yet Amir's family still has little clue as to his fate. Amir has been held for much of his captivity in solitary confinement. He has not been granted access to his Iranian attorney and has been allowed only limited contact with family. Switzerland, which oversees U.S. interests in Iran, has not been granted consular access to him. There is no evidence that Amir was engaged in any espionage activity while visiting his family in Iran. There is every reason to believe-- including the ruling of the Iranian Supreme Court--that the information used against Amir in his original trial was deeply flawed. A videotaped ``confession'' broadcast on Iranian television was obviously edited.…”