Washington Post journalist detained in Iran for six months to face trial 'soon'
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Version 0 of 1. The Washington Post’s correspondent in Tehran, who has been detained in Iran since July on unspecified charges, will be put on trial “soon”, a senior Iranian judiciary official has said. Gholam Hossein Esmaili, the head of Tehran province’s justice department, made brief remarks about Jason Rezaian on Wednesday, saying he would face an Iranian court in the near future. “He will be tried soon,” Esmaili was quoted as saying by the state-run IRNA news agency. “The Iranian-American journalist Jason Rezaian is in touch with his family and allowed visits while in jail.” Related: Family of US reporter jailed in Iran tells of 'inconceivable' five-month ordeal Iran does not recognize dual citizenship, which Rezaian holds – experts say he will be treated as an Iranian when he faces trial. Hardliners who control the country’s security apparatus have deep suspicion of dual citizens and have arrested a number in recent years for crimes human rights activists have alleged to be politically motivated. According to the IRNA report, Esmaili stressed that a verdict would be announced at the end of the legal procedures. Rezaian was imprisoned under dubious circumstances in July, after security forces raided his home in Tehran and arrested him; his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, also a journalist; and two American photojournalists. The other three Americans have been released – Salehi was allowed out of jail on bail in October. Tehran’s chief prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, announced recently that Rezaian had been officially charged and his case sent to a revolutionary court, which deals with cases involving national security. The charges have not been announced. The charges may not even be clear to the accused or his lawyers, his family has said, as Rezaian can speak but not read Farsi and as far as they know has not been given access to a translator. As Rezaian has been treated solely as an Iranian, he has not been allowed consular access. Since his arrest, which has now earned him the unwelcome distinction of being the longest held western journalist in Iran, he has lived in a small cell, endured long interrogation and suffered serious infections and weight loss, his brother Ali told the Guardian in December. Rezaian has been allowed visits from his wife, who has not spoken about the ordeal, a situation the secretary of Iran’s own human rights council has called a “fiasco”. He also recently received a visit from his mother, who traveled to Iran after appealing directly to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s religious leader. On Wednesday, Martin Baron, executive editor of the Washington Post, said in a statement: “We have yet to hear any accounting of any charges against Jason, who after six months in custody has still not been provided access to a lawyer. “It is appalling and outrageous that Jason remains behind bars. A fair and just approach by Iran’s judiciary could only result in his immediate release.” Earlier this month Baron expressed hope that the referral of Rezaian’s case to a revolutionary court would be a step towards his release. “This step gives Iran’s judiciary an opportunity to demonstrate its fairness and independence by determining that the charges are baseless,” the statement said. “We call on Iran to make these charges public, to allow Jason access to a lawyer and to bring a swift and just resolution of a six-month-long nightmare that has been extremely difficult for Jason and his family.” Rezaian’s arrest has caused much embarrassment to President Hassan Rouhani’s administration, which is trying to improve relations with the west. After being elected, Rouhani went to the Washington Post to publish his first and only opinion piece, in which he outlined his goals for a moderate future. Rouhani is under pressure from hardliners over talks with the US and other countries about the country’s nuclear programme, which Tehran claims is not meant to produce weapons. The US State Department has repeatedly called on Iran to drop charges against Rezaian and release him, along with other Americans jailed in the country. Department officials raised the subject during nuclear talks. In December, US secretary of state John Kerry denounced Iran for denying Rezaian bail. He has also called for his release, saying: “I am personally dismayed and disturbed at these reports, as I have repeatedly raised Jason’s case, and other cases of detained or missing US citizens, with Iranian officials.” Iran’s judiciary, which is dominated by the conservatives, is a political institution that operates independently of Rouhani’s government. That means Rouhani’s hands are tied in regards to Rezaian’s case. But as president, he can use his position to influence other political institutions. The journalist’s family have repeatedly pleaded to the Iranian authorities for his release, expressing concerns about his physical and mental health. “I wake up every morning awaiting a phone call, an email or even a knock at the door with news that Jason has been released, but there has been no news,” the journalist’s mother, Mary Rezaian, said in a video last year. |