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 Siamak Namazi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, was detained by Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in October while visiting family,
according to a source familiar with the matter who declined to be
identified. Iranian authorities have not announced any charges
against him.
Five other American citizens were released from Iranian prisons more
than a month ago as part of an historic prisoner swap with the
United States. After their release, U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry said that he had commitments from Iran that Namazi's case
would be resolved soon.
Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei said in a phone interview on Friday that
he is representing Namazi and that Iran's judiciary chief has not
yet allowed him to meet with his client. Such permission is required
by Iranian law if an individual is accused of national
security-related crimes, he said, adding that he has not been
officially informed of Namazi's charges.
 "Not me, nor any other lawyer has received such permission from the
head of judiciary so far," Tabatabaei said. "His mother has met him
a few times, but his father has not been allowed to see him."
Tabatabaei said he and Namazi's mother met this month with a
prosecutor who promised to allow more meetings between her and her
son.
In a post on Facebook on Saturday, Namazi's mother, Effie Namazi,
said she had not been able to see her son for some time, and did not
know his condition. But she said she had received news through his
cellmate's family that Namazi had begun a hunger strike.
"This step by Siamak has greatly increased the worries of his
family, because it will certainly hurt his health," Effie Namazi
wrote. "As a mother I ask officials to at least allow for me and his
father to meet with Siamak as soon as possible and jointly convince
him to quit his hunger strike."
Tabatabaei identified Namazi's cellmate as Isa Saharkhiz, a
prominent Iranian journalist who is also Tabatabaei's client.
Hunger strikes have been one way for imprisoned Iranians without
other recourse to pressure authorities. Iranian lawyer Nasrin
Sotoudeh ended a nearly 50-day hunger strike in 2012 after Iranian
officials lifted a travel ban on her daughter.
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Namazi was most recently working for Crescent Petroleum, an oil and
gas company in the United Arab Emirates. Previously, he headed a
consulting firm in Iran. Born in Iran, he was educated in the United
States and was named a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic
Forum in 2007.
An official at Iran's Interests Section in Washington, D.C. declined
to comment on the case. The U.S. State Department said it could not
comment on Namazi's case because of privacy concerns.
Namazi's arrest has sent a chilling message to expatriates who hope
to participate in Iran's economic opening following the lifting of
nuclear-related sanctions.
Tabatabaei is a prominent lawyer who has represented other detained
dual nationals, including former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, one of
the five Americans released from Iranian prison last month.
Ahmad Kiarostami, a friend of Namazi, said he worried that the
hunger strike indicated Namazi had been driven to extreme measures
by his detention.
"I don't know what he wants, I don't know what he needs," Kiarostami
said in a phone interview. "This is not a solution that the Siamak
that I know comes to easily."
(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Editing by
Stuart Grudgings and Alan Crosby)
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