US family appeals to Iran leader to release jailed son

The family of a former US Marine imprisoned in Iran appealed on Monday directly to the Iranian president, due in New York for the UN General Assembly, to secure his release.                                                        

Amir Hekmati, 31, has been held for three years. His father, a microbiology professor, has been diagnosed with brain cancer and recently suffered a stroke, and is desperate to see his son.

Representative Dan Kildee, a member of Democratic Party whose Michigan district was Amir Hekmati's home, was also in New York to press for his release and raise world attention.

No contact is planned this time around. Expectations are low that the two leaders will meet, but Kildee said he would be in favor.

"I think it's always better to be in communication, even when there are big differences, so it's my hope that the two presidents will have a chance to meet one another," said Kildee.