A U.S. citizen described as "wrongfully detained" has been released by Iran, according to a statement made by President Donald Trump on July 15. The announcement came as the United States continued to conduct military strikes against the Middle Eastern nation. In a social media post, the president stated that the individual is now safely outside of Iran and in good condition, adding that the United States appreciates this gesture of goodwill.
International human rights lawyer Jared Genser identified the freed individual as Dena Karari, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran. Genser, who expressed that he was "delighted and excited to report" the news on X, noted that Karari had been held in Iran since December 2024 on what he described as "bogus charges." He credited the president’s direct efforts as being crucial to securing her release and confirmed she is currently headed back to the United States.
Genser is a prominent human rights advocate often referred to as "the extractor." His past work includes representing Siamak Namazi in 2023, one of five Iranian American dual citizens whose release was negotiated by the administration of then-President Joe Biden in a prisoner exchange. According to a profile published in The Guardian that same year, Genser has been instrumental in the release of more than 300 prisoners of conscience across 20 countries over the last two decades.
