Siamak Namazi, the longest-held Iranian-American prisoner, has revealed the horrors he endured during his eight years of captivity in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison. In an emotional interview, Namazi detailed the “unutterable indignities” he faced, including physical abuse, prolonged solitary confinement, and threats of violence from his captors.
Namazi, who was wrongfully detained in 2015, was excluded from three U.S.-Iran prisoner swap deals during the Obama and Trump administrations. His release finally came in 2023 as part of a U.S.-Iran agreement that unfroze $6 billion in Iranian assets.
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Recalling the moment he returned to U.S. soil, Namazi described breathing in the “smell of freedom,” reflecting the immense psychological toll of his ordeal. In a candid conversation with CNN, he recounted the difficulty of adjusting to life post-imprisonment, including setting alarms to remind himself to leave his apartment.
Namazi’s arrest followed a trip to Iran for a family funeral, where he was accused of collaborating with a “hostile state”—the U.S. He endured eight months in solitary confinement and suffered severe beatings throughout his detention.
Namazi’s story sheds light on the severe conditions faced by those imprisoned in Iran and the long-standing tensions between the U.S. and Iran that have complicated the release of dual nationals like him.
Key Points:
- Siamak Namazi, the longest-held Iranian-American prisoner, was detained in Iran for eight years.
- He endured severe physical abuse, solitary confinement, and threats of violence in Evin Prison.
- Namazi was excluded from three U.S.-Iran prisoner swap deals during the Obama and Trump administrations.
- He was released in 2023 as part of a U.S.-Iran agreement that unfroze $6 billion in Iranian assets.
- Namazi described his return to the U.S. as an emotional moment, calling it the “smell of freedom.”
- His arrest in 2015 occurred after a trip to Iran for a family funeral, where he was accused of cooperating with a “hostile state”—the U.S.
- Namazi faced lasting psychological effects from his imprisonment, including difficulty adjusting to normal life after release.
