The United States said it would be a "welcome development" if reports prove true that Iran's Supreme Court had overturned a death sentence for an American citizen convicted on spy charges.
The reaction follows a report by Iran's Fars news agency that the court had "nullified" the sentence against Amir Mirza Hekmati, a native-born American of Iranian descent, after finding flaws in the case.
Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine with dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship, was sentenced to death in January after Iran's Revolutionary Court ruled he was guilty of spying on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The case will be referred to another court. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland expressed hope Hekmati "will be reunited with his family soon."
The reaction follows a report by Iran's Fars news agency that the court had "nullified" the sentence against Amir Mirza Hekmati, a native-born American of Iranian descent, after finding flaws in the case.
Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine with dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship, was sentenced to death in January after Iran's Revolutionary Court ruled he was guilty of spying on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The case will be referred to another court. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland expressed hope Hekmati "will be reunited with his family soon."
