Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted a judicial official that an American citizen detained in the northeastern city of Mashhad is being sued by a private plaintiff.
Mashhad’s prosecutor Gholamali Sadeghi told Mehr on Friday that Michael White 46 has a “private plaintiff”, meaning it is not the government which has a case against him. He added that White’s case is in the investigation process.
However, he also did not rule out that White can also face “security charges”. Asked if the American also faces security related accusations, the prosecutor replied, “This is being looked into, but what is clear now is that he has a private plaintiff”.
In recent years Iran has arrested many foreigners and dual-nationals visiting the country on various vague security related charges and most have been convicted for spying or conspiring against the government.
Earlier in January it was reported that White travelled to Iran last summer and was supposed to return to the United States in July, but he never boarded his flight.
These reports indicated that White, who is a U.S. Navy veteran, went to Iran to see his girlfriend and it was not clear on what charges he was been arrested.
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