Iranian-American sentenced to 10 years in Iran for spying

By Shirzad Bozorgmehr and Jay Croft

(CNN) -- An Iranian-American was sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying, Iran said Sunday.

Iranian judicial spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejheie spoke in a video statement carried by the semi-official news agency Fars News.

The identity and gender of the Iranian-American and the dates of the trial and arrest were not disclosed. The person was arrested and put on trial for "gathering information," and the sentence can be appealed, Mohseni-Ejheie said.

According to Iranian law, the convicted has 20 days to appeal a sentence.

Other Americans held in Iran

In October 2016, San Diego resident Reza "Robin" Shahini was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The US-Iranian citizen was visiting family in Gorgan, Iran.

He went on a hunger strike to protest. This April, he was released on bail to await his appeal, The Center For Human Rights in Iran said.

Also in October 2016, Iran sentenced Iranian-Americans Baquer Namazi and his son Siamik to 10 years in prison and fined them $4.8 million, according to Iran's official news channel IRINN.

Siamak Namazi was arrested almost a year before. He was the first US citizen held since the Iranian nuclear program agreement.

Four US prisoners were released last year by Iran as part of a prisoner swap granting clemency to seven Iranians indicted or imprisoned in the United States.

American died after being released by North Korea

This year, American Otto Warmbier, 22, was released by North Korea after being held for 17 months. He died in June at age 22.

He had visited North Korea in January 2016 on a sightseeing tour. He was arrested for allegedly stealing a political sign from a restricted area and sentenced two months later to 15 years of hard labor.

When he was released, he could not speak or move voluntarily and had suffered extensive brain damage. His doctors said he was in a persistent vegetative state.

The-CNN-Wire

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