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The future of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post journalist imprisoned in Iran for nearly a year, looked a fraction more positive Monday when the U.S. newspaper’s editor revealed that judicial proceedings might be coming to a close.
"There are indications from Tehran that the closed-door trial... might finally be nearing its end,” Marty Baron, the newspaper’s editor said in a statement.
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The correspondent, who was detained in Tehran on July 22, 2014, will “almost certainly” have just one more hearing in the secret trial, with a verdict reached, according to information from Rezaian’s attorney.
However, the date for the next private court session is unknown.
“It is long past time for the Iranian authorities to bring this process to an end. The proceeding began on May 25, ten months after Jason was detained, and to date it has included only three sessions, whose details remain secret. There can be no reason for further delay,” Baron’s statement said. “The charges that Jason faces, including espionage, are grave; they also could not be more ludicrous. Any fair outcome would clear Jason of these manufactured charges so that he can be released and reunited with his family,” the statement added.
According to Rezaian’s family, the recent nuclear deal struck between five world powers and Iran last week could ease tension surrounding his detention and lead to his release.
While not commenting on whether the journalist was considered a “hostage,” Baron told CNN that, “What we do know is that he is being held unjustly, and being held unjustly for a full year now … We’ve tried every channel that we believe is available to us.” He reiterated that Rezaian had done “nothing wrong.”
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@POTUS here is a picture of the 4 Americans they have names Amir Hekmati Saeed Abedini Jason Rezaian Bob Levinson pic.twitter.com/DhgPH6hh7g
— d.m. (@missumuggins)
July 10, 2015
Three other U.S. citizens, Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini and Bob Levinson, are also being held in Iran.
In 2014, at least 221 journalists were imprisoned around the world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 30 of which were in Iran.
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