U.S. Says France’s Decision Not to Extradite Iranian Engineer “Regrettable”


WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) – The United States on Sunday criticized France’s decision to release from its custody an Iranian engineer facing U.S. charges of attempting to illegally import U.S. technology for military purposes on behalf of an Iranian company.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Iranian national Jalal Rohollahnejad was the subject of a U.S. extradition request, adding that “it is regrettable in this instance that France failed to uphold its treaty obligations and prevented justice from being pursued.”

A French court last year approved Rohollahnejad’s extradition, according to a judicial source.


(Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Daniel Wallis)