White House: 5 Americans detained in Iran moved from prison to house arrest

Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Five U.S. residents detained in Iran for years have been moved from prison and placed under house arrests, a sign that they could be freed soon, an attorney for one of the men said.

Attorney Jared Genser told CNN that he knew of four released by Iranian officials -- Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, Morad Tahbaz, and a fourth American who has not been identified publicly.

He said they have been taken from Tehran's Evin Prison, and are anticipated to be held at a hotel under guard by Iranian officials, said attorney Jared Genser, a pro bono attorney for Namazi.

"The move by Iran of the American hostages from Evin Prison to an expected house arrest is an important development," he said. "While I hope this will be the first step to their ultimate release, this is, at best, the beginning of the end and nothing more."

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that the White House is aware of the release of what it said actually is five Americans.

"While this is an encouraging step, these U.S. citizens -- Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Shargi, and two Americans who at this time wish to remain private -- should have never been detained in the first place. We will continue to monitor their condition as closely as possible. Of course, we will not rest until they are all back home in the United States."

"Until that time, negotiations for their eventual release remain ongoing and are delicate. We will, therefore, have little in the way of details to provide about the state of their house arrest or about our efforts to secure their freedom."

Tahbaz's daughter, Tara Tahbaz, said in March that the families had been requesting the Biden administration to get more involved in their release. That was three months after WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russia in a high-profile prisoner exchange.

"President Biden and his administration have repeatedly told our families that our loved ones are a priority, so we are imploring that he grants us our one request to meet with us and to hear our plights firsthand," Tara Tahbaz said at the time.