Washington Post Reporter Sentenced To Unspecified Prison Term in Iran
Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was sentenced to prison by an Iranian court, Iran’s state news agency said on Sunday. The 39-year-old was accused of espionage by prosecutors, Reuters reports.
Serving a jail term is in Jason Rezaian’s sentence but I cannot give details,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei told a press conference in Tehran, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
Rezaian’s lawyer, Leila Ahsan, told the Associated Press that she was told nothing of the verdict beforehand.
“I have no information about details of the verdict,” she said. “We were expecting the verdict some three months ago.”
Rezaian was Tehran bureau chief for The Washington Post, and holds both U.S. and Iranian citizenship. In July 2014, Iranian authorities raided the house he shared with his wife, and brought Rezaian into custody at Evin Prison, a detention center that houses political prisoners. Rezaian’s arrest, along with a several other Americans, is believed to be part of a power play between Iran and the U.S.
Rezaian’s attorney said last April that he was accused of “collaborating with hostile governments” and spreading “propaganda against the establishment.”
The Post has denied the allegations since Rezaian was first put into custody. Foreign editor Douglas Jehl said in a statement:
“We’re aware of the reports in the Iranian media but have no further information at this time. Every day that Jason is in prison is an injustice. He has done nothing wrong. Even after keeping Jason in prison 487 days so far, Iran has produced no evidence of wrongdoing. His trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately.”
