Iran overturns death sentence for US-born dev

A dual US-Iranian citizen has avoided execution after Iran’s Supreme Court overturned his death sentence.

Judges found that there were “shortcomings” in the previous case against Amir Mirza Hekmati, which had him convicted of spying for the CIA, and ordered a retrial.

He had appeared to admit in the case in December that he had acted as a CIA spy, whilst stating he had created games to manipulate public opinion in Iran.

Hekmati is believed to be employed by New York games outfit Kuma Reality Games.

Iranian prosecutors said that Hekmati, also a former US marine, had been spotted training at US bases in Afghanistan and Iraq before being sent into Iran.

The US has been calling for his immediate release, whilst it has also denied allegations that he is a spy and has denounced his televised confession.

"There were objections to the verdict by the Supreme Court," said judiciairy spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei in a news conference in Tehran, as reported by the Isna news agency.

"The Supreme Court found shortcomings in the case and sent it for review by an affiliate court."

A date for a retrial has yet to be set.