U.S. & Iran Complete Prisoner Swap; Iranian Protesters Mark One Year Since Death of Mahsa Amini

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

63% : SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN: Just a few minutes ago, I had the great pleasure of speaking to seven Americans who are now free, free from their imprisonment or detention in Iran, out of Iran, out of prison, and now in Doha en route back to the United States to be reunited with their loved ones.
57% : But today, their freedom, the freedom of these Americans for so long unjustly imprisoned and detained in Iran, means some pretty basic things.
56% : Siamak Namazi, an Iranian American businessman, had been held the longest, since 2016, in Iran.
53% : And women in Iran on the ground tell me that there's sort of an unspoken sisterhood, a solidarity, that when they see each other defying the law and not wearing the hijab, they get even more courage, more bravery, and feel like they're not alone.
51% : Secretary of State Tony Blinken praised the deal.
50% : Another two have returned to Iran, and the fifth is going to an undisclosed country to be with family.
49% : As part of the deal, the money will only be available to Iran to purchase food, medicine and other nonsanctionable items.
49% : And, Negar, what do you make of the timing of this release, coming on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly meeting just as President Raisi of Iran comes to New York?
48% : So this was money that was frozen by South Korea, oil revenue, at the request of the U.S., or essentially in fear of U.S. sanctions or punishment, and the U.S. basically greenlighted to South Korea or allowed them to unfreeze this money.
48% : And one or two have decided to go back to Iran.
46% : This is an existing humanitarian exemption that has existed under Republican and Democratic administrations when it comes to sanctions law, that certain purchases, very limited purchases, are allowed even for a country that's heavily sanctioned.
46% : And have there been any concessions by the government in the past year in terms of the rights of women in Iran?
45% : The five prisoners flew on Monday from Tehran to Qatar.
45% : Could you talk about the sanctions and its impact on the Iranian economy and on the people of Iran?NEGAR MORTAZAVI:
45% : But the law, as far as sanctions, hasn't changed.
42% : AMY GOODMAN: Five Americans released by Iran as part of a prisoner swap have arrived back in the United States.
42% : Negar, can you tell us who the five Iranian Americans are, or why don't we know two of those people, where we do not see their pictures, and also who the Iranians are, who -- two are asking to stay here, two went to Iran, and another to a third country?
40% : Three of the prisoners released by Iran have been identified publicly: Siamak Namazi, who's been detained since 2015; Morad Tahbaz, an environmentalist jailed since 2018; and Emad Sharghi, who was also arrested in 2018.
39% : In addition, the Biden administration cleared the way for Iran to access $6 billion of its own money that had been frozen in a bank in South Korea.
39% : They were joined by two other Americans who had been barred from leaving Iran.
38% : Well, I'm not exactly sure how much of this was timed, although it is a pattern that when domestic issues and problems or, I would say, repression and dissent increases, Iran has been trying to do more outreach and more sort of external gains or diplomatic achievements.
31% : Her death sparked months of protests in Iran and a severe crackdown by Iranian authorities.
29% : Five of the seven, of course, had been unjustly detained, imprisoned in Iran, some for years; two others had been prevented from leaving Iran.
27% : Negar, I know you have to go, but I wanted to ask you about this anniversary of the killing of Mahsa Amini and her father being arrested, the state of the protest movement in Iran right now as the president of Iran addresses the U.N. General Assembly.

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