Five Iranian nationals who have been incarcerated in US prisons for an extended period are set to be released on Monday as part of a prisoner exchange agreement between the United States and Iran.

Secretary General of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed the impending release, shedding light on the details of their return.

"After a successful team effort, five innocent Iranian compatriots in American prisons will be free today, and two of them will enter Tehran via Doha," Gharibabadi announced via his social media account.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kan’ani, provided further information regarding the detainees' destinations upon their release. Two of the individuals will return to Iran, one will join his family in a third country, and the remaining two will continue to reside in the United States.

The five Iranian prisoners, namely Mehrdad Moein Ansari, Kambiz Attar Kashani, Reza Sarhangpour Kofrani, Amin Hassanzadeh, and Kaveh Lotfollah Afrasiabi, had been held in American correctional facilities, ostensibly due to violations of US sanctions.

The prisoner exchange agreement, officially announced on August 10, 2023, not only secures the release of these five Iranians but also facilitates the return of five Americans from Iranian prisons, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough. This reciprocal release comes after two years of indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Tehran has consistently emphasized that the exchange of prisoners is a purely humanitarian issue, further underlining the significance of these developments in international relations. The release of these detainees is seen as a step towards easing tensions between the two nations. (ILKHA)