Iran: Relatives of jailed Iranian scientist urge US for his release

M/S Press TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi and Dr. Masoud Soleimani's wife Mahnaz Rabie, Tehran
W/S Audience
C/U Rabie
W/S Audience
SOT, Mahnaz Rabie, Dr. Masoud Soleimani’s wife (Farsi): "Professor Soleimani was arrested regarding charges over violating sanctions against Iran. However, he did not live in the US, did not do any business there and also did not buy anything. His two students were transferring the materials, the artificial-growth-hormones materials, which are just for medical and research, and even the materials had not been transferred and they [the students] mentioned the professor's name [Dr. Soleimani]. He did not commit any crime."
M/S Press conference attendees *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Mahnaz Rabie, Dr. Masoud Soleimani’s wife (Farsi): "I had a call with him yesterday afternoon and he is in a very very bad mental and physical condition. In fact, he is not in a good mental condition since he still thinks that his mother is still alive and he is worried about his mother and also his family. All of his students have faced problems and they need him for their dissertations."
W/S Press conference
M/S Press conference
SOT, Yaghoub Fatollahi, School of Medical Sciences at Tarbiat Modares University professor (Farsi): "If we take a look at this issue from another sight, and if there was a documented crime, the US would announce it clearly. It has been more than one year that no documented claim has been presented in this regard yet. This is the attitude that is only expected from the US and their arrogance."
M/S Press conference ending
SCRIPT
The wife of jailed Iranian scientist Masoud Soleimani, Mahnaz Rabie, alongside relatives and colleagues of her husband, held a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, condemning the United States justice system and urging his release from prison.
Rabie's comment follows the anniversary of Soleimani's detention in the United States, which has reportedly led to his deteriorated mental and physical conditions.
Masoud Soleimani, who was conducting research on how to treat stroke patients, travelled to the United States last year, after being invited by Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where he was detained for allegedly violating trade sanctions.
"Professor Soleimani was arrested regarding charges over violating sanctions against Iran. However, he did not live in the US, did not do any business there and also did not buy anything," said Rabie.
"His two students were transferring the materials, the artificial-growth-hormones materials which are just for medical research, and even the materials had not been transferred and they [the students] mentioned the professor's name [Dr. Soleimani]. He did not commit any crime," she added.
Yaghoub Fatollahi, who works at the School of Medical Sciences at Tarbiat Modares University, also slammed the US government stating that if there was a documented crime, the US would have announced it clearly. "It has been more than one year that no documented claim has been presented in this regard yet. This is the attitude that is only expected from the US and their arrogance," he stated.
Soleimani, who is currently imprison near Atlanta, is facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail for conspiring and attempting to export unauthorised biological materials from the US to Iran.