US ‘deeply regrets’ French release of Iranian wanted by Washington for busting sanctions

The United States said it regretted a decision by France to release an Iranian national from custody, whom Washington wanted extradited for violating US sanctions related to exporting equipment with military applications.

‘The United States deeply regrets France’s unilateral decision to release Iranian national Jalal Rohollahnejad from its custody,’ State Department Spokesman Morgan Ortagus said in a 22 March statement.

He added that Rohollahnejad was the subject of a US extradition request and that, ‘There are multiple outstanding US charges against him related to the illegal export of equipment with military applications in violation of US sanctions.’

‘The United States and France have a shared interest in bringing those accused of serious crimes to justice, particularly in cases with national security implications. It is regrettable in this instance that France failed to uphold its treaty obligations and prevented justice from being pursued,’ Ortagus said.

Rohollahnejad, 41, was detained in France on 2 February, arrested as he got off a flight at Nice airport.

Reuters reported that US judicial investigators suspect Rohollahnejad of trying to import into Iran high-power industrial microwave systems from the United States that could be used for military purposes. US judges say the engineer acted on behalf of a company linked to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.

https://www.state.gov/frances-unilateral-release-of-iranian-national-jalal-rohollahnejad/