"His health troubles culminated in near total blockages in his right ICA last October, putting him at high risk of having a potentially fatal stroke," it said. "Iranian authorities ignored international pleas to lift Baquer's travel ban and forced him to undergo the necessary carotid endarterectomy in Iran, despite the heightened risk to his life posed by the stressful environment, poor aftercare, and rampant Covid-19 infections in the country."

Baquer survived a surgery to treat blockages in his right ICA, but "new scans have revealed that severe blockages in his left ICA require Baquer to urgently undergo surgery again and Iranian authorities appear poised to subject him to the same unnecessary dangers as before."

Babak called on the US government "to drastically increase its efforts to obtain my family's freedom before it's too late."

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"Time is not on our side," he said.

Siamak was blocked from leaving Iran after visiting in July 2015 and underwent months of interrogations before being arrested in October 2015. Baquer was lured to Iran under the false premise that he would be able to see his son. He was instead immediately taken into custody at that time, in February 2016.