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Washington Post says no facts in case against Tehran reporter | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The ordeal of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post’s Tehran correspondent, takes another turn today with news agencies reporting that he will stand trial in secret. | The ordeal of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post’s Tehran correspondent, takes another turn today with news agencies reporting that he will stand trial in secret. |
He has been in an Iranian jail for 10 months since he was arrested on 22 July 2014 along his wife and two other people who have not been named. | He has been in an Iranian jail for 10 months since he was arrested on 22 July 2014 along his wife and two other people who have not been named. |
Rezaian, 39, who has joint Iranian-US citizenship, is accused of being a spy. His newspaper dismisses such allegations as “absurd”, as do international press freedom watchdogs and US president Barack Obama. | Rezaian, 39, who has joint Iranian-US citizenship, is accused of being a spy. His newspaper dismisses such allegations as “absurd”, as do international press freedom watchdogs and US president Barack Obama. |
In a statement published on the Post’s website, its executive editor, Martin Baron, said: “The serious criminal charges that Jason now faces in Iran’s revolutionary court are not supported by a single fact. | In a statement published on the Post’s website, its executive editor, Martin Baron, said: “The serious criminal charges that Jason now faces in Iran’s revolutionary court are not supported by a single fact. |
“The proceedings against him have been anything but fair and open — if they had been, Jason would never have been subjected to outrageous prison conditions, obstacles to selecting a lawyer, limited time to prepare a defence, and an inadequate window on the case that Iran plans to bring against him”. | “The proceedings against him have been anything but fair and open — if they had been, Jason would never have been subjected to outrageous prison conditions, obstacles to selecting a lawyer, limited time to prepare a defence, and an inadequate window on the case that Iran plans to bring against him”. |
Baron, who called for the trial to be held in public, said: “The absence of evidence against him should have led to dismissal of the case long ago”. | Baron, who called for the trial to be held in public, said: “The absence of evidence against him should have led to dismissal of the case long ago”. |
Ali Rezaian, the journalist’s brother, told Reuters Television: “I think the only reason you could possibly imagine that the trial would be closed would be to prevent people from seeing the lack of evidence”. | Ali Rezaian, the journalist’s brother, told Reuters Television: “I think the only reason you could possibly imagine that the trial would be closed would be to prevent people from seeing the lack of evidence”. |
His family had hoped that Rezaian’s journalist wife, Yeganeh Salehi - who was released from jail in October last year with the two other suspects - would be allowed to attend the trial with his mother. He also said his brother had lost 40lb (18kg) in prison. | His family had hoped that Rezaian’s journalist wife, Yeganeh Salehi - who was released from jail in October last year with the two other suspects - would be allowed to attend the trial with his mother. He also said his brother had lost 40lb (18kg) in prison. |
Sources: News agencies via The Guardian/Washington Post | Sources: News agencies via The Guardian/Washington Post |
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