Iran to appoint lawyer for detained Iranian-American

DUBAI: Iran’s judiciary signalled on Saturday that Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi, detained since October in a case being watched internationally, had not been given access to a lawyer.

The businessman was on a list published last month by the official Islamic Republic News Agency and the Tabnak website of four prisoners to be freed in a prisoner exchange with the United States.

His name was later withdrawn from the list with no explanation. Five Iranian-American groups have written to US Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to work to release Namazi, who they said was "left behind" after the prisoner swap.

Namazi was detained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while in Iran visiting family. Officials have yet to announce charges against him.

Namazi’s 80-year-old father Baquer Namazi was arrested on Monday after travelling to Iran to try to visit his son in Evin prison.

On Saturday, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeimentioned the case in answer to international media reports that Siamak Namazi had been denied access to a lawyer, Tasnim news agency reported.

He was quoted as saying: "According to the criminal code, lawyers should be approved by the head of the judiciary in security cases ...therefore if a lawyer is presented according to these rules he will be accepted, whether on this case or any other."

"There is one law for all accused," Ejei added. Iran does not recognise dual nationality. Last week, the younger Namazi’s attorney and family said he had been denied access to his lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei.

Tabatabaei said he was representing Namazi but had not been informed of the charges his client faces.