Iranian Abducted Scholar Calls International and Humanitarian Organizations to Take Action

Iranian researcher at Iran's Malek Ashtar University, Shahram Amiri stated that he was kidnapped by U.S. agents on his way to Mecca in June 2009.

In a video message released on Monday, the scholar who has been missing since last year as he was going to perform pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia confirmed his abduction by the U.S.

The video revealed Amiri as saying, "I am Shahram Amiri, a lecturer at Malek Ashtar University, and at the moment I am in the town of Tucson in the US state of Arizona.

"I was abducted on the 13th of Khordad 1388 in a joint operation by terror and kidnap teams from the US intelligence service CIA and Saudi Arabia's intelligence. I was kidnapped from the holy city of Medina," Amiri added.

Amiri stated that his abduction was intended to put political pressure on the Iranian government.

He called on the international community to help him gain his freedom.

He said, "I ask international and humanitarian organizations and those that are involved in freeing prisoners in other countries to seriously follow my case because I was unjustly kidnapped from a third country and brought to the US, and I ask them to do everything they can to help me return to my dear county Iran," he added.

Soon after Amiri's disappearance last year, Iranian officials have claimed the U.S. was involved in the incident.

On their part, Washington and Saudi Arabia denied any involvement or knowledge about the issue.