WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) released the following statement in response to reports that Iranian-Americans Siamak Namazi and his father Baquer Namazi, who were wrongly detained by Iran one year ago, have been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison:

“Once again Iran has made a mockery of its own legal system in convicting wrongfully detained Iranian-Americans.  It appears the trials violated every basic international standard – carried out in secret with no transparency, no evidence, and no representation.  They were a complete and total sham. 

“Siamak Namazi and his father Baquer are suffering in jail in Tehran today for one reason, and one reason only: because they dared to promote closer U.S.-Iran relations.  This unjust conviction should be a grave warning to anyone seeking to do business with Iran.”

NOTE: In July, the Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously approved Chairman Royce’s H. Res. 808 urging the president to take appropriate measures against Iran if calls for Siamak and Baquer Namazi’s unconditional release are not met.