Days before an Iranian stem cell scientist was due to plead guilty and be sentenced to time served by an Atlanta judge as part of a carefully negotiated prisoner swap that would lead to the release by Iran of Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang, a potential spoiler emerged.
State Department Iran envoy Brian Hook sent a message to the Swiss and Iranians that former New Mexico governor and US Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson was not authorized to negotiate the swap by the US government, according to a person involved in the negotiations. Instead, the Justice Department directed the US attorney in Atlanta to drop all charges against the stem cell scientist, Masoud Soleimani.
“We had a plea agreement that had been agreed to by the US attorney in Atlanta and defense counsel, and was awaiting the judge’s acceptance on Dec. 11,” former Kansas Democratic Rep. James Slattery, who worked pro bono to try to help attorney Jason Poblete secure Wang’s release, told Al-Monitor. “The court date was set for Dec. 11 for the judge to review the plea agreement. It was certain to be approved by a federal judge. After that, Dr. Soleimani would have been sentenced to time served and released.”
“And then the Justice Department intervenes with the US attorney, and basically directs the US attorney to drop all charges,” Slattery continued. “That’s how that all happened.”
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