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Iran has sentenced an Iranian American Jewish man from New York to prison on charges of traveling to Israel 13 years ago for celebrating his son’s bar mitzvah, members of his family said. Kamran Hekmati, a 70-year-old jeweler who traveled to Iran in May for a brief visit, has been held in Tehran’s Evin prison since July, family members said in interviews. They asked not to be named because they feared that Iran’s government would retaliate against Mr. Hekmati for speaking publicly. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Mr. Hekmati to four years in prison in late August, citing a law that bans Iranians from visiting Israel, family members said. Mr. Hekmati, who holds dual citizenship, was born in Iran but immigrated to the United States when he was 13 years old. He traveled to Iran to visit family using his Iranian passport, as Iranians are obliged to do, and Iran says it does not recognize dual citizenship. In September, Iran’s judiciary reduced the punishment for traveling to Israel to two years in prison and subsequently cut Mr. Hekmati’s sentence in half, members of his family said. His name and his sentence have not previously been reported. A lawyer for the family has filed an appeal, but a court date has not yet been set, the family members said. They said they hope Iran releases him on humanitarian grounds because he was not involved in politics, had visited Israel for personal reasons and was in poor health fighting aggressive bladder cancer. Iran’s mission to the United Nations said it would not comment on Mr. Hekmati’s case. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
