American Prisoners Released from iran and almost home. The lead starts right now. A nightmare almost over. For Five Americans who spent years behind bars in brutal iranian prisons. One was a father locked up when he was tried to visit his jailed son. Coming up, inside of the negotiations to get The Americans released which some critics are calling Hostage Diplom diplomacy. Plus annoyed on the bench. A judge expressing irritation with Jeffrey Clark who trump almost appointed as Attorney General and who didnt bother showing up for todays hearing. And cnn undercover. Looking into what the Mercenary Wagner group is up to in africa. After Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed on suspicious circumstances. Welcome to the lead, the jake tapper. We start with Five Americans who the u. S. Has been wrongfully detained in iran headed home. We saw them for the first time today stepping off a plane in qatar after leaving iran. They are back on a plane headed to the United States. Theyre expected to arrive at
When these freed hostages land overnight in the d. C. Area, they will be immediately offered help from the Defense Department at adjusting to life on the outside. And so far we havent heard anybody say anything but positive things that americans are heading home but there are a lot of complaints about the deal to get them here. Ransom payment 6 billion. A billion bucks per prisoner. President biden says today five innocent americans imprisoned in iran are finally coming home after many months of difficult and principled american diplomacy. Americans since held 2015 says im dying to find out what gadgets now exist. When i was taken hostage the iphone 6 s had just come out. You cannot imagine what an 8 year itch feels like. The returning americans have already spoken to President Biden and Secretary Of State blinken. I can tell you that it was for them, for me an emotional conversation. To get the Five Americans home, President Biden worked to unfreeze 6 billion in iranian funds. That ar
Years in the making. Five americans wrongfully detained in iran are now on a plane and its just taken off from tehran on their way to freedom. Were there headed just next, details on all this and the deal that was made that led to their release. Also this hour, one of Donald Trumps codefendants heads to court. Jeffrey clark, the former Justice Department official, now arguing why his case should move out of georgia and into federal court. A sheriffs deputy ambushed and killed. A reward now offered to help find the suspect as a clue emerges they hope will lead to an arrest. Im john berman with sara sidner and kate bolduan. This is cnn news central. Just moments ago, a qatari jet carrying Five Americans imprisoned in iran took off from tehran and is tet to arrive in doha, qatar. Three have all been imprisoned for more than five years. The identities of two other americans in the deal have not yet been released. Its all part of a complex u. S. iran deal involving the release of 6 billion
This is cnn Breaking News. Breaking news here on cnn. Iran set to release five american prisoners at any moment. Right now, a jet is on stand by to bring them from teheran to qatar. Under this deal, the u. S. Has unfrozen 6 billion in iranian money that is supposed to only be used for humanitarian purposes. The u. S. Is also releasing five iranians from prison, two of them are planning to stay in america. Becky, this has been months of negotiations to lead to this point. Where do things stand right now as you sit . Reporter well, it should be the end of what has been a years long nightmare for these five iranianamerican citizens who have been held in iran, and are due for release today, expected to be delivered to the airport at any time, mediating this deal over months, being a friendly nation between the u. S. And iran. No direct negotiations between washington and teheran. Once those hostages are on the flight and wheels are up, it is about a twohour flight to doha, here in qatar, a
Member of the Freedom Caucus why is going after Marjorie Taylor greene and speaking out against an Impeachment Inquiry against President Biden. Earlier, my congressman conversation with senator Amy Klobuchar. Talking about a rebrand of the term prolife. Something tells me that she does too. According to mark meadows, he was just doing his job, setting up a job so that they could into finding him some votes. So that is just typical runofthemill Chief Of Staff stuff, nothing to see here, just doing my job. At least thats been his argument to get his case moved to Federal Court, and if hed been successful he may have had a more favorable jury pool. So there were some stakes for him, or in the dreams narrow for meadows, it couldve meant dismissal of his case altogether. But, late on friday, a judge in atlanta flatly rejected his request to move his case. It turns out you cant just claim all of your alleged crime was under the big umbrella as politics as usual. The word for a talking point,