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| John Kerry asks Iran to free Washington Post journalist Jazon Rezaian | John Kerry asks Iran to free Washington Post journalist Jazon Rezaian |
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| John Kerry again raised concerns over Iran’s prolonged detention of the Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, during talks with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif before Thursday’s historic agreement over the country’s nuclear programme. | John Kerry again raised concerns over Iran’s prolonged detention of the Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, during talks with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif before Thursday’s historic agreement over the country’s nuclear programme. |
| “As we do every time we meet, we will continue to call on Iran to immediately release detained US citizens Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini so that all can be returned to their families as soon as possible,” a State Department spokesman said. “We have raised these cases repeatedly with Iranian officials and will continue to do so until they are all home.” | “As we do every time we meet, we will continue to call on Iran to immediately release detained US citizens Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini so that all can be returned to their families as soon as possible,” a State Department spokesman said. “We have raised these cases repeatedly with Iranian officials and will continue to do so until they are all home.” |
| Negotiators for Iran and the major world powers announced a breakthrough agreement that could mark the beginning of the end for the years-long standoff over Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. Speaking at a joint press conference, officials shared details of a framework devised after days of near continuous talks that went long into the night, which the secretary of state called a “solid foundation” for a future complete deal. The compromise plan is to be finalised by 30 June. | |
| As countries around the world cheer the preliminary deal, Rezaian’s family issued a sobering reminder of some of the outstanding differences between the two countries. | As countries around the world cheer the preliminary deal, Rezaian’s family issued a sobering reminder of some of the outstanding differences between the two countries. |
| In a statement, the family called for the immediate release of Rezaian who has been detained for nearly eight months. | |
| “Now that a framework agreement has been announced, things should be less ‘complicated’,” said Ali Rezaian, the journalist’s brother and a spokesman for the family. “The US government and our negotiating partners have claimed Iran can uphold an international agreement, though. In Jason’s case, for 254 days, Iran has been unable to enforce their own laws or abide by their existing international human rights commitments.” | “Now that a framework agreement has been announced, things should be less ‘complicated’,” said Ali Rezaian, the journalist’s brother and a spokesman for the family. “The US government and our negotiating partners have claimed Iran can uphold an international agreement, though. In Jason’s case, for 254 days, Iran has been unable to enforce their own laws or abide by their existing international human rights commitments.” |
| Rezaian, a dual national of the US and Iran, was detained in July 2014 after security forces raided his home in Tehran and arrested him, his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, also a journalist, and two friends, including an Iranian- American with connections to Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani. | |
| Rezaian was formally charged in January, but the Iranian government has not publicly disclosed the charges except to accuse him in a statement of “participating in activities outside the scope of journalism”. No trial date has yet been set, though local news reports have suggested it will begin later this month. | |
| The Guardian reported previously that Iranian intelligence authorities had been trying to build a case against Rezaian in an effort to undermine Rouhani’s moderate administration. | |
| Rezaian’s family maintains that the journalist’s detention is in violation of Iran’s own laws, which allow detainees access to a lawyer. | Rezaian’s family maintains that the journalist’s detention is in violation of Iran’s own laws, which allow detainees access to a lawyer. |
| “We call on the Iranian leadership to review the evidence their underlings claim to have against Jason,” Ali said. “If they do, we are certain they will see that Jason has done no harm to Iran. Otherwise, they should ensure the judiciary stop their inhumane delays, make public their case against Jason and let the world see why they have stolen eight months of Jason’s life.” | “We call on the Iranian leadership to review the evidence their underlings claim to have against Jason,” Ali said. “If they do, we are certain they will see that Jason has done no harm to Iran. Otherwise, they should ensure the judiciary stop their inhumane delays, make public their case against Jason and let the world see why they have stolen eight months of Jason’s life.” |