Michigan man sentenced to death in Iran

 
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's state radio says a court has convicted a Michigan man of working for the CIA and sentenced him to death.

Monday's report said Amir Hekmati was also convicted of trying to accuse Iran of involvement in terrorism.

The report didn't say when the verdict was issued. Under Iranian law, he has 20 days to appeal.

Iran charges that as a former U.S. Marine, Hekmati received special training and served at U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan before heading to Iran for his alleged intelligence mission.

His father, a professor at a community college in Flint, Mich., has said his son is not a CIA spy and was visiting his grandmothers in Iran when he was arrested.

The 28-year-old was born in Arizona and graduated from high school in Michigan. His family is of Iranian origin.

 
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The family of an American man sentenced to death in Iran for allegedly being a CIA spy says he was visiting relatives and was not spying for the CIA.

Behnaz Hekmati, mother of Amir Hekmati, said in an email to The Associated Press that she and her husband Ali are "shocked and terrified" that their son has been sentenced to death. She said the verdict is "the result of a process that was neither transparent nor fair."

Iran charged that Hekmati received special training and served in Iraq and Afghanistan before heading to Iran for an intelligence mission.

The 28-year-old former military translator was born in Arizona and graduated from high school in Michigan. His family is of Iranian origin.

AP