Iranian Scholar Returns After 18 Months Of Imprisonment In US

Tehran, April 27, IRNA – Iranian scholar Mojtaba Atarodi arrived here Saturday morning after 18 months of imprisonment and home arrest in the US. He was welcomed by the chancellor and his colleagues in Sharif University of Technology. Chancellor Reza Roosta Azad told IRNA that Atarodi who was visiting the US to take part in a scientific seminar was arrested and detained there for a year and a half. Atarodi was arrested by American security forces in Los Angeles on December 7, 2011. The US court sentenced him to home imprisonment after prolonging the process of investigation illegally for 16 months. During the detention, he suffered two heart strikes. Following his detention, Foreign Ministry started legal activities to defend him, Mehmanparast said, noting that the ministry considers release of the Iranian expatriates from prisons as one of its main priorities. The 54-year-old scientist is a microchip expert and assistant professor at Sharif University of Technology. He is the author and co-author of dozens of scientific papers dealing with microchip technology./end