Amir Hekmati, a dual US-Iranian citizen born in Arizona, was arrested by Iranian security officials in August 2011 while on a family visit

US secretary of state John Kerry has joined the family of US marine veteran Amir Hekmati in calling on Iran to release him on the four-year anniversary of his detention by the Islamic Republic.

Hekmati, a dual US-Iranian citizen born in Arizona, was arrested by Iranian security officials in August 2011 while on a family visit to see his grandmother and other relatives. He is serving 10 years in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison on charges of aiding a hostile country – the US.

“This Saturday marks the four-year anniversary of US citizen Amir Hekmati’s detention on false espionage charges while visiting his relatives in Iran,” Kerry said in a statement on Friday.

“We repeat our call on the Iranian government to release Amir on humanitarian grounds. The Hekmati family needs Amir – their brother, their son, their uncle – to be home where he belongs,” Kerry added.

A historic nuclear accord reached last month has both given hope to the families of US prisoners held in Iran and been a point of contention for critics of the deal. US officials said they deliberately kept the nuclear negotiations separate from the release of the American prisoners in case the talks faltered. However, state department officials said they consistently raised the issue of the captive Americans when they met with their Iranian counterparts.

“It is frustrating because on the one hand we have this impression that Iran and the US having more face-to-face communication and more engagement than they did in the past is only a benefit to Amir,” Sarah Hekmati, Amir’s sister, told the Guardian.

“And yet Amir ... will be the longest held American in history that’s been detained in Iran and for us that’s heartbreaking.”

Sarah said she and her family never thought they would reach this milestone. But she said there has been more movement and attention on her brother’s case in the past few months than at any point during his imprisonment.

“We’re very cautiously optimistic,” she said. “At the same time we know that there are a lot of politics involved and sadly Amir has been sucked into that.”

For the Hekmati family, time is of the essence. Hekmati’s father has brain cancer and his condition is rapidly deteriorating, Sarah said. She said her brother suffers from nightmares that his release will come too late. “It really breaks my brother’s heart,” she said. “And our father is fighting so hard to see him again.”

Hekmati was picked up by Iranian security officials in August 2011, two weeks after arriving in Tehran from Dubai on a family visit. Iran’s security and intelligence apparatus are suspicious of dual citizens. He was then tried, convicted and sentenced to death for spying.

Iran’s supreme court annulled the death sentence after Hekmati appealed, ordering a retrial in 2012. The country’s revolutionary court then overturned his conviction for espionage, instead charging him with “cooperating with hostile governments” and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

Two other Americans are being held by Iran, Jason Rezaian, the Tehran bureau chief for the Washington Post, and Saeed Abedini, a Christian cleric. Robert Levinson, another American, disappeared in Iran while on CIA mission eight years ago.



Last month, President Barack Obama called on Iran to release the three “unjustly detained” Americans held in Iran, including Hekmati, and urged the country’s leaders to cooperate with the US to find Levinson.

On Saturday, Hekmati’s family will lead a rally in Michigan, where they live, to mark the solemn anniversary of Amir’s incarceration and protest his detention.

Sarah said she spoke to her brother on Friday and was able to tell him about Kerry’s statement and the demonstration. She said she hoped knowing that America hadn’t forgotten him would buoy his spirits.

“He’s trying to stay strong,” Sarah said. “He will keep pushing.”

In an emotional audio message recorded by his family, Amir expressed his gratitude to those who have supported him and his family during the past four years.

“My morale has never faltered after all these years because I know I am not alone,” Amir said in the recording. “So if I’m alive and have any privileges here, and if my family is able to cope with this better, it’s because of your support and I’ll always be grateful.”