TEHRAN, March 27. /TASS/. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on the US to release Iranian researchers detained by the US government. He made this statement on Twitter on Friday.

"US has taken several Iranian scientists hostage — without charge or on spurious sanctions charges — & not releasing them; even when its OWN courts reject the absurd charges. US even refuses medical furlough — amid #covid19 — for innocent men jailed in horrific facilities. Release our men," he wrote.

Zarif has attached a link to an article in the Guardian about Iranian scientist Dr. Sirous Asgari, who remains in custody in the US despite having been exonerated. The newspaper says that the researcher might contract the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) due to the fact that the detention facility in the US state of Louisiana, where he is being held at, has not taken the appropriate measures to combat the spread of the disease.