WASHINGTON: A U.S. permanent resident detained in Iran since 2016 has begun a hunger strike in protest of his exclusion from last week's deal between Washington and Tehran that could eventually result in the release of five Americans jailed in Iran, his son said on Monday.
Shahab Dalili, 60, a shipping captain who had emigrated to the United States after retiring, was detained in Tehran in April 2016 during a visit for his father's funeral.
He was charged with aiding and abetting a foreign country and was handed a 10-year prison sentence that he is serving in Iran's Evin prison which holds many political prisoners.
Under a complicated agreement whose implementation will likely take weeks, Iran may free five detained U.S. citizens in return for $6 billion of Iranian funds in South Korea being unfrozen. Washington would also release several jailed Iranians.
As first step of the deal, Iran last week allowed four detained U.S. citizens to move into house arrest from Tehran's Evin prison, a lawyer for one said. A fifth was already under home confinement.
"The deal is being done and he's not part of it. That was very heartbreaking," Dalili's son, Darian, said in a brief telephone interview. He added that he himself also began a hunger strike to raise awareness about his father.
"He feels betrayed. He is demoralized. He believes that the U.S. would bring back anyone that they want to bring back," Darian said.
Pressed by reporters at the State Department daily briefing, deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel did not give a clear reason why Dalili was not part of the deal but said he has not yet been declared "wrongfully detained."
The legal determination is made by the State Department and effectively means that the U.S. government views the charges levied against the individual as politically motivated and false.
The determination allows the U.S. State Department to dedicate more resources into the case, assigns the responsibility with a special presidential envoy and raises the prominence of the issue.
Patel also did not say why Dalili was not categorized as wrongfully detained. Dalili's son Darian told Reuters that he received a phone call on Friday from the Department's acting special envoy for Iran, Abram Paley.
"I asked why haven't the (wrongfully detained) designation happened yet and he wasn't able to provide an answer," Darian said.
The State Department declined to comment specifically on Paley's phone call with Dalili's son but Patel earlier said the United States "regularly and actively review individual cases for indications and indicators of possible wrongful detention."
Reuters
Tue Aug 15 2023
![Jailed US resident excluded from Iran hostage deal begins hunger strike, his son says Jailed US resident excluded from Iran hostage deal begins hunger strike, his son says](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-08/51661471948_TBUSIran.jpg)
Under a complicated agreement whose implementation will likely take weeks, Iran may free five detained U.S. citizens in return for $6 billion of Iranian funds in South Korea being unfrozen. - Astro AWANI
![Bapa bunuh anak tiri, Mahkamah Persekutuan kekal hukuman mati Bapa bunuh anak tiri, Mahkamah Persekutuan kekal hukuman mati](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721123316_TBMahkamah.jpg)
Bapa bunuh anak tiri, Mahkamah Persekutuan kekal hukuman mati
Mahkamah Persekutuan di sini hari ini mengekalkan hukuman gantung sampai mati terhadap seorang bapa yang membunuh anak tiri lelakinya yang berusia enam tahun, 13 tahun lepas.
![Malaysia akan terajui pembangunan pusat data bagi suku ketiga 2024 - Juwai IQI Malaysia akan terajui pembangunan pusat data bagi suku ketiga 2024 - Juwai IQI](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-09/71694408676_smartcity.jpg)
Malaysia akan terajui pembangunan pusat data bagi suku ketiga 2024 - Juwai IQI
Prestasi ekonomi Malaysia yang teguh membantu melonjakkan permintaan dalam industri pusat data.
![Jokowi ke Abu Dhabi untuk perbincangan dengan Presiden UAE mengenai kerjasama Jokowi ke Abu Dhabi untuk perbincangan dengan Presiden UAE mengenai kerjasama](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-08/41660792602_jokowi.jpg)
Jokowi ke Abu Dhabi untuk perbincangan dengan Presiden UAE mengenai kerjasama
Presiden Jokowi dijadual bertemu rakan sejawatannya dari UAE pada 17 Julai.
![Tiga jurusolek lelaki berperwatakan wanita didakwa rompak rakan Tiga jurusolek lelaki berperwatakan wanita didakwa rompak rakan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-01/81673948647_TBGAVEL.jpg)
Tiga jurusolek lelaki berperwatakan wanita didakwa rompak rakan
Kesemua mereka dakwa mengikut Seksyen 395 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum 20 tahun dan boleh dikenakan denda dan sebat, jika sabit kesalahan.
![Timbalan Speaker Dewan Rakyat buat laporan polis berkaitan hasutan, fitnah di Facebook Timbalan Speaker Dewan Rakyat buat laporan polis berkaitan hasutan, fitnah di Facebook](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-06/61686778902_RamliMohdNor.jpg)
Timbalan Speaker Dewan Rakyat buat laporan polis berkaitan hasutan, fitnah di Facebook
Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor mendapati hantaran pemilik akaun itu sangat tidak berasas dan tidak bertanggungjawab.
AWANI Ringkas: Pan-Gon letak jawatan | Ini pandangan peribadi
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
![Agong berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja ke-266 Agong berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja ke-266](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721119877_SultanIbrahim.jpg)
Agong berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja ke-266
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja (MRR) ke-266 di Istana Negarahari ini.
![Status ADUN Rembia: DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi Status ADUN Rembia: DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108165_ADUNRembiaPN.jpg)
Status ADUN Rembia: DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi
Speaker DUN Melaka, Datuk Ibrahim Durum berkata, setakat ini pihaknya belum dimaklumkan secara rasmi dan perbincangan berhubung perkara itu akan diadakan.
![Warga emas bersalah bunuh abang, kakak ipar Warga emas bersalah bunuh abang, kakak ipar](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41721119130_wargaemasbersalah.jpg)
Warga emas bersalah bunuh abang, kakak ipar
Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini mensabitkan kesalahan seorang warga emas atas dua pertuduhan pindaan membunuh abang dan kakak iparnya dua tahun lalu.
![PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp kemuka laporan tindakan susulan PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp kemuka laporan tindakan susulan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721120782_TBMASERMIEYATI.jpg)
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp kemuka laporan tindakan susulan
Mas Ermieyati Samsudin berkata tempoh itu diberikan susulan laporan audit berkaitan, baru dibentangkan pada minggu lepas.