President Donald Trump confirmed Xiyue Wang's release Saturday, thanking the Swiss government for their assistance in negotiating with Iran.
"Freeing Americans held captive is of vital importance to my Administration, and we will continue to work hard to bring home all our citizens wrongfully held captive overseas," Trump said in a statement.
Xiyue Wang, a Princeton University PhD student, was conducting research in Tehran when he was arrested there on espionage charges in August 2016. Wang was sent to Iran's notorious Evin Prison and sentenced to 10 years.
In exchange for Wang's release, the US freed Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani.
Soleimani, an Iranian stem cell scientist, was arrested by US law enforcement upon landing in Chicago in fall 2018, according to Iran's state-run Press TV.
Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif announced early Saturday that the two academics would be "joining their families shortly."
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