Iran frees American student held since 2016 on spying charges in prisoner swap for scientist held by the US

A US university student detained in Iran for three years has been freed under a prisoner exchange swap brokered by the Swiss government.

Xiyue Wang with his wife Hua Qu. Picture: Supplied

A Princeton student detained in Iran for three years on spying charges has been freed in a prisoner swap deal that saw an imprisoned Iranian scientist released by Washington.

US President Donald Trump said Chinese-American Xiyue Wang, 38, who was sentenced in 2016 to 10 years for spying, was returning to the United States.

This followed Tehran’s announcement about the release of Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani from the United States.

Xiyue Wang and his wife Hua Qu. Picture: Supplied

In a statement issued by the White House, Mr Trump thanked the Swiss government - which represents US diplomatic interests in Iran - for its help in negotiating Mr Wang’s release three years after he was first detained.

“Freeing Americans held captive is of vital importance to my Administration, and we will continue to work hard to bring home all our citizens wrongfully held captive overseas,” he said.

President Donald Trump. Picture: AP

Mr Wang’s wife Hua Qu said: “Our family is complete once again. Our son Shaofan and I have waited three long years for this day and it´s hard to express in words how excited we are to be reunited with Xiyue.”

The New York Post reported that Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter: “Glad that Professor Massoud Soleimani and Mr Xiyue Wang will be joining their families shortly. Many thanks to all engaged, particularly the Swiss government.”

Going home pic.twitter.com/HZHPDc20aj

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) December 7, 2019

In his tweet, Mr Zarif confirmed rumours that had been circulating for days that a deal was in the works to free Mr Wang.

Mr Wang was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran for allegedly “infiltrating” the country and sending confidential material abroad.

His family and Princeton University strongly denied the claims. Iran has detained dual Iranian nationals and those with Western ties in the past to be used as bargaining chips in negotiations.

A poster promoting a rally to support Xiyue Wang. Picture: Supplied

Scientist Massoud Soleimani — who works in stem cell research, haematology and regenerative medicine – was arrested by US authorities on charges he had violated trade sanctions by trying to have biological material brought to Iran.

He and his lawyers maintain his innocence, saying he seized on a former student’s plans to travel from the US to Iran in September 2016 as a chance to get recombinant proteins used in his research for a fraction of the price he’d pay at home.

Xiyue Wang and Hua Qu. Picture: Supplied

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Tensions have been high between Iran and the US since President Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018.

In the time since, the US has imposed harsh sanctions on Iran’s economy. There also have been a series of attacks across the Mideast that the US blames on Iran.

Originally published as Iran frees American student held since 2016 on spying charges in prisoner swap for scientist held by the US