Hostages in Iran must not be forgotten On November 4, 1979, a day forever ingrained in my memory, Iranian militants, backed by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, took over the embassy, and I became one of 52 American hostages held at their mercy. (AP Photo) In October, President Trump chose not to recertify the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, giving Congress 60 days to decide on the future of the agreement. As Congress weighs action and the administration consults with our European partners, policymakers must consider Iran’s history of holding Americans and dual-nationals hostage, including those held captive today. On the 38th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, it’s the least we can do. In 2016, the Obama administration admitted that the nuclear deal and hostages run along “ parallel tracks .” As a candidate, President Trump came to a similar conclusion, stating “We have four people over there, pris...

Iran: Prominent academic sentenced to death after grossly unfair trial The Iranian authorities must urgently quash the death sentence against Iranian-born Swedish resident and specialist in emergency medicine Ahmadreza Djalali, said Amnesty International today. The medical doctor and university lecturer had studied and taught in Sweden, Italy and Belgium. Since his arrest in April 2016, several European officials have called for his release. Zeynab Taheri, one of Ahmadreza Djalali’s lawyers, told Amnesty International that he was sentenced to death for the charge of “corruption on earth” ( ifsad fil-arz ), and has been given a 200,000 euro fine. The court verdict, which was shown to one of the lawyers, states that Ahmadreza Djalali worked with the Israeli government, who subsequently helped him obtain his residency permit in Sweden. “Ahmadreza Djalali was sentenced to death after a grossly unfair trial that once again exposes not only the Iranian authorities’ steadfast commit...