After a trip to visit family in Iran last August, an Iranian-American citizen was arrested for and convicted of espionage and has since been sentenced to death. A former US Marine born in Flagstaff, Arizona, Amir Mizra Hekmati now has 20 days to appeal the verdict or the decision will be final. His family has since hired a lawyer with experience in negotiating with the government of Iran, and he is currently attempting to meet with Iranian officials.
Hemkati's crime? Developing a video game critical of Iran.
As reported by Gamasutra, Hekmati is accused of creating games designed to influence public opinion on US operations in the Middle East, and specifically Iran. Hekmati worked as a developer at Kuma Games, which has released a number of free, war-themed first-person shooters including Kuma/War, which features both real-world and plausibly fictional scenarios.
One episode in the game, dubbed "Assault on Iran," has players infiltrate an Iranian nuclear facility in order to find physical proof that Iran is producing nuclear weapons. Other episodes include "The Fall of Sirte," in which players engage in the battle that culminated in Muammar Gaddafi's death, and "The Death of Osama Bin Laden."
A confession in which Hekmati admits to the accusations was aired on Iranian television and also published in the Tehran Times.
"After (working for DARPA), I went to Kuma (Games Company)," the confession read in part. "This computer company was receiving money from the CIA to (produce) and design and distribute for free special movies and games with the aim of manipulating public opinion in the Middle East. The goal of the company in question was to convince the people of Iran and the people of the entire world that whatever the U.S. does in other countries is a good measure."
Hekmati's family has released a statement on the website FreeAmir.com, denying the accusations of spying and explaining that legal representatives are attempting to contact the Iranian government to "find a solution to this misunderstanding."
"The Iranian authorities are denying that Amir is a United States citizen, despite the fact he was born in Flagstaff, Arizona," Hekmati's parents said in a statement released yesterday. "Amir did not engage in any acts of spying, or 'fighting against God,' as the convicting judge has claimed in his sentence. Amir is not a criminal. His very life is being exploited for political gain."
According to Hekmati's lawyer, Pierre Prosper, who previously served as ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues under the Bush administration, Hekmati's trial took place a few months after his initial arrest, lasted only half a day, and a verdict was handed down just a few weeks later. "We also are troubled by the fact there's been no transparency," he told CNN, "so it is really hard to see what happened."
The US State Department has denied that Hekmati was a CIA spy and has urged the Iranian government to release him "without delay."
Image courtesy Kuma Games
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