Congressman Dan Kildee (Michigan 5th District) reserves seat at SOTO for imprisoned Marine

[Siwsan]

Congressman reserves seat at SOTU for imprisoned Marine

Marine veteran Amir Hekmati will have a seat waiting for him in the House chamber for President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address next week, but barring a dramatic diplomatic breakthrough, it will go unfilled.

Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., who counts Hekmati and his family among his constituents, is extending the invitation to help raise awareness about Hekmati's plight. The Iraq War veteran is languishing in an infamous Iranian prison after being charged with espionage while visiting relatives there about three years ago, though the former sergeant and U.S. officials have repeatedly denied any claims that he was there to spy.

"Every year, we think about who we should invite to be our guest … and it was very obvious to me that if it was any one person I represent … that I would love to see sitting in that seat, it's Amir Hekmati," Kildee said. "Let's hold a seat for him here to help send a message to the country and to the world and to Iran that Amir Hekmati should be home."

Iranian authorities initially sentenced Hekmati to death, but later overturned the verdict and accused him of aiding a hostile country — the U.S. He is campaigning to have his case reviewed, though in the meantime he copes with reportedly deplorable conditions in prison.

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http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/veterans/2015/01/16/seat-at-sotu-for-amir-hekmati/21863825/