WASHINGTON (AP) — Two members of Congress and the family of a
former Marine now detained in Iran called for his freedom Monday, on
the observance of his 1,000th day in prison on spying charges.
Iran
arrested Amir Hekmati in August 2011 while he was on a trip to visit
his grandmothers in Tehran. Hekmati is a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen born
in Arizona.
His sister and brother-in-law and Democratic Reps. Dan
Kildee of Michigan and Jim McGovern of Massachusetts held a vigil near
the White House Monday and pressed Iran to release him.
Hekmati’s sister, Sarah, said their father has been diagnosed with brain cancer.
"I think about my father fighting his body to hold on so he can feel his son in his arms
again," she said.
Kildee
said international talks with Iran to curb Tehran’s atomic program
could help with Hekmati’s release because they "have created the
opportunity for discussion where none was taking place before."
An
Iranian court sentenced Hekmati to death after finding him guilty of
espionage, a charge his family has repeatedly denied. Iran’s Supreme
Court overturned the sentence in 2012, but Hekmati has remained behind
bars.
Last month, Hekmati’s Iranian lawyer informed the family
that Hekmati had been tried secretly and convicted of the less serious
offense of "cooperating with hostile governments." He now faces a
sentence of up to 10 years in prison.