Conflicting reports about the arrest of an Iranian nuclear negotiator have been circling in Iranian media since August 2016, when Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, spokesman for the judiciary, confirmed the news. The individual, whose name was not initially revealed, is Abdol Rasul Dori Esfahani, a dual Iranian-Canadian national and member of the negotiation team who worked on economic and banking sanctions.
On Oct. 4, the news of Dori Esfahani’s arrest resurfaced when Mohseni-Ejei confirmed his conviction. At the press conference, Mohseni-Ejei said that Dori Esfahani was accused of “spying for two [foreign] spy agencies and was sentenced to five years in prison.” He added that Dori Esfahani also had a “financial case,” meaning corruption, which he has not yet been sentenced for.