TEHRAN: An Iranian nuclear scientist claimed Thursday that he suffered extreme mental and physical torture at the hands of US interrogators after disappearing last year, adding to Tehran's allegations he was abducted by American agents.
The US says he was a willing defector who changed his mind and decided to board a plane home from Washington.
Shahram Amiri was embraced by his family — including his tearful 7-year-old son — after arriving in Tehran in the latest spectacle of a puzzling series of events that left Iran and Washington with starkly different accounts. Amiri flashed a V-for-victory sign as he stepped into the terminal.
Iran has portrayed the return of Amiri as a blow to American intelligence services that were desperate for inside information on Iran's nuclear program. Iran has sought maximum propaganda value — allowing journalists to cover Amiri's return and having a top envoy from Iran's Foreign Ministry on hand to greet him.
Washington described the 32-year-old Amiri as someone who reached out to US officials, but have offered few other details.
