Jason Rezaian

Jason Rezaian
Born March 15, 1976
Marin County, California, U.S.
Citizenship United States, Iran
Education The New School
Occupation Journalist
Employer The Washington Post
Spouse(s) Yeganeh Salehi
Parent(s) Taghi Rezaian, Mary Rezaian
Website
Washington Post Bio

Jason Rezaian (born March 15, 1976[1]) is an American-Iranian journalist currently employed as The Washington Post bureau chief in Tehran, Iran. On July 22, 2014, Iranian authorities raided the Tehran residence of Rezaian and his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, and took the couple into custody. While Salehi – who is also a journalist – was released on October 6, as of 20 April 2015, Rezaian remains in custody at Evin Prison, a detention center in Tehran known for housing political prisoners and intellectuals.[2] After nine months of speculation, it was made public on April 20, 2015 that Iranian authorities have indicted Rezaian on four charges, including espionage and "propaganda against the establishment."[3]

Biography

Jason Rezaian was born and raised in Marin County, California, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rezaian holds both American and Iranian citizenship. His late father, Taghi, emigrated to the U.S. from Iran in 1959. His mother Mary, who is originally from Chicago, moved from Marin County to Turkey following her husband's death.[4]

Rezaian has been based in Iran as a journalist since 2008. Before becoming the Post's Tehran correspondent in 2012, Rezaian wrote for other publications such as the San Francisco Chronicle. Rezaian's wife, Yeganeh Salehi, is an Iranian citizen who is a correspondent for The National, a newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates.[5]

Arrest and detention

On the night of July 22, 2014, Iranian government security forces raided Rezaian's Tehran residence and arrested him and his wife. The agents reportedly confiscated laptops, books, and notes. In a separate raid that night, security forces also arrested a female photojournalist and her husband, both American citizens.[6] The Washington Post first reported news of the arrests on July 24.[5] On July 25, Tehran Justice Department head Gholam-Hossein Esmaili confirmed the arrests. Esmaili said, "We are now in the investigation phase. I think we will be able to provide more information after technical investigation and questioning." He did not say why they had been arrested. He added, "The security forces have the whole country under surveillance and control the activities of enemies. They will not permit our country to become a land where our enemies and their agents carry out their activities."[7]

The photojournalist and her husband were released within weeks,[8] while Rezaian's wife, Salehi, was released on bail on October 6.[9] Iranian authorities did not disclose Rezaian's whereabouts or welfare, nor did they reveal the circumstances surrounding the couple's arrest and subsequent detention.[10] Officials from the Iranian judiciary and Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance have reportedly told journalists that the case is "security"-related and investigating it "is dangerous."[11]

On December 7, the U.S. State Department announced Rezaian had been charged by an Iranian court with unspecified offenses. According to State, he was denied bail, has not been allowed to speak with his attorney, and the Iranian government has repeatedly denied requests by Secretary John Kerry for consular services via the Swiss Embassy, the U.S. protecting power in Iran. In a statement, Kerry reiterated calls to release Rezaian, as well as Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini, and Robert Levinson – three other Americans also detained in Iran as of that date.[12]

On January 15, 2015, an Iranian prosecutor told state media that Rezaian will stand trial in Iran in a Revolutionary Court on unspecified charges.[8] A few weeks later on February 1, Rezaian's family announced the case would be heard by Judge Abolghassem Salavati, a controversial figure in the Iranian court system known for handing down harsh sentences (including extensive prison terms, lashings, and death) to political prisoners and those regarded as a threat to national security.[13] On March 1, after more than 7 months in detainment, Rezaian was granted permission to hire a court-approved attorney.[14]

On April 20, 2015, The Washington Post reported that Iranian authorities are charging Rezaian with espionage and three other serious crimes, including "collaborating with hostile governments" and "propaganda against the establishment." The statement, issued from Tehran by Rezaian's attorney Leilah Ahsan, was provided to The Post by the family of the imprisoned reporter.[3]

Reactions

Media

Six weeks before their arrests, Rezaian and Salehi were filmed for the CNN docuseries Parts Unknown, where they had discussed Iranian culture and their heritage with host Anthony Bourdain. In writing for the Washington Post, Bourdain expressed shock over the couple's detention, stating: "These are good people, much loved and admired all over the world. I am, unfortunately, growing used to seeing bad things happening to good people. But this I can’t get used to, or ever understand. This wonderful couple is a danger to no one. They are nobody’s enemy. They are without blame or malice."[15]

A column in Vatan-e-Emrooz, a Persian newspaper "close to the security establishment," has accused Rezaian of directing and distributing "Happy Iranians," a tribute video of the Pharrell Williams song "Happy," which was controversial in Iran and led to arrests of the participants. The column also alleged that Rezaian and his wife are American spies and may be acting as a liaison for the U.S.-based National Iranian American Council lobbying group. According to Agence France-Presse, such allegations are unsubstantiated.[16] In writing for The New Yorker, journalist Laura Secor asserted the "recognizably trumped-up charges" are "both patently absurd and entirely run-of-the-mill for Iran."[17]

Some sources believe the timing of the arrest and subsequent announcements of Rezaian's legal status may be calculated to influence Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, in nuclear proliferation talks with the United States. The New York Times noted that Rezaizan "may be serving as a pawn" in an internal Iranian struggle between reformers like Rouhani and hard-liners.[18][19][20]

International Government

References

  1. ↑ Milbank, Dana. "Imprisonment of Post reporter Jason Rezaian is a tragedy for Iran, too". The Washington Post.
  2. ↑ "Detention taking ‘devastating toll’ on Post reporter locked up in Iran". Washington Post. December 10, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Post reporter jailed in Iran faces 4 charges including espionage". The Washington Post. April 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Journalist detained in Iran has deep ties to Bay Area". San Francisco Chronicle. August 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Post reporter, other journalists appear to have been detained in Iran". The Washington Post. July 24, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Raid Leaves Arrested Washington Post Journalist's Home 'Looking Like a Scene from Hell'". International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. July 25, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Iran confirms arrest of Washington Post correspondent". AFP. July 25, 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Jason Rezaian: Iran to try Washington Post reporter". BBC News. 15 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Iran Frees Wife of Detained Washington Post Journalist".
  10. ↑ "U.S. has no information on jailed Post reporter". The Washington Post. August 5, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Official Silence Continues on Washington Post Reporter’s Detention". International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. August 12, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Charges in Iran Against U.S. Citizen Jason Rezaian". U.S. Department of State. December 7, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Hard-line judge in Iran is assigned case of jailed Post reporter Jason Rezaian". The Washington Post. February 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Iran allows lawyer for Post reporter, but not his choice". The Washington Post. March 1, 2015.
  15. ↑ Anthony Bourdain (August 5, 2014). "These people I interviewed in Iran clearly loved the country. So why did it put them in jail?". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Iran says journalist arrests not a matter for US". AFP. August 6, 2014.
  17. ↑ Laura Secor (August 15, 2014). "Why Is Iran Detaining Jason Rezaian?". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  18. ↑ New York Times editorial board (January 16, 2015). "To End an Unjust Imprisonment". New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  19. ↑ Haleh Esfandiari (August 14, 2014). "Jailing a Journalist to Shame Rouhani". New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  20. ↑ Rick Gladstone and Michael R. Gordon (January 14, 2015). "Iran Charges, and Will Try, Jason Rezaian, Washington Post Reporter". New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  21. ↑ "State Department urges Iran to release Washington Post correspondent". The Washington Post. July 28, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Ban to Iran: Free the Journalists, Political Prisoners". AFP. September 19, 2014.