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DETROIT (AP) — An audio tape has been released of a former U.S. Marine imprisoned in Iran. In the tape, Amir Hekmati renounces his Iranian dual citizenship status and says that he is being falsely imprisoned.
Hekmati, who is 31, was born in Arizona and raised in Michigan. He was arrested in August 2011 while visiting relatives. He was initially convicted of spying and sentenced to death, but that was later overturned and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on a lesser charge.
He and his family deny any wrongdoing, and have said that his imprisonment has included physical and mental torture and long periods of solitary confinement in a tiny cell.
A letter he recently dictated by phone to his mother was forwarded to Pakistan's Washington embassy that represents Iran's U.S. interests.
The State Department has said that Hekmati's case has been raised with Iranian officials and that it will continue to bring it up.
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277-a-17-(Amir Hekmati, former U.S. Marine, imprisoned in Iran, reading statement in telephone call to his mother in Michigan)-"citizenship and passport"-Former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati says he renounces his Iranian citizenship. ((note length of cut)) (19 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *277 (03/19/15)££ 00:17 "citizenship and passport"
275-a-14-(Amir Hekmati, former U.S. Marine, imprisoned in Iran, reading statement in telephone call to his mother in Michigan)-"battling with cancer"-Former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati says he has been wrongly imprisoned in Iran. (19 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *275 (03/19/15)££ 00:14 "battling with cancer"
274-a-11-(Amir Hekmati, former U.S. Marine, imprisoned in Iran, reading statement in telephone call to his mother in Michigan)-"Ministry of Intelligence"-Former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati says after unexpectedly being issued an Iranian passport instead of a visa in the summer of 2011, he was taken into custody by Iranian authorities shortly after entering the country. (Hekmati has dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship because his parents were born in Iran) (19 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *274 (03/19/15)££ 00:11 "Ministry of Intelligence"
276-a-13-(Amir Hekmati, former U.S. Marine, imprisoned in Iran, reading statement in telephone call to his mother in Michigan)-"tools for propaganda"-Former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati says Iranian authorities do not respect his dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship. (19 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *276 (03/19/15)££ 00:13 "tools for propaganda"
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