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| Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian appears in second hearing in Tehran | Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian appears in second hearing in Tehran |
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| Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter held in Iran on charges of spying and collaborating with hostile governments, has appeared at a second, private, hearing in Tehran. | Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter held in Iran on charges of spying and collaborating with hostile governments, has appeared at a second, private, hearing in Tehran. |
| The Iranian-American journalist, who has been in jail for more than 10 months, is standing trial alongside two other defendants who have not been named, the IRNA state news agency reported. | |
| Rezaian’s first hearing was held last month but little information has been released in public about what had been discussed during that session. Rezaian has been held largely incommunicado since his detention in July 2014. | Rezaian’s first hearing was held last month but little information has been released in public about what had been discussed during that session. Rezaian has been held largely incommunicado since his detention in July 2014. |
| Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Rezaian as saying during the first hearing: “I am a journalist, and all of my activities have been conducted as a journalist, and all were legal.” | Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Rezaian as saying during the first hearing: “I am a journalist, and all of my activities have been conducted as a journalist, and all were legal.” |
| Mehr did not explain how it had access to information from a trial held in camera. The case is being presided over by Abolghassem Salavati, a hardline judge notorious for issuing heavy sentences. | Mehr did not explain how it had access to information from a trial held in camera. The case is being presided over by Abolghassem Salavati, a hardline judge notorious for issuing heavy sentences. |
| The 39-year-old reporter was arrested at his home in Tehran along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, also a journalist, and two friends, an Iranian-American couple. The two friends, who are believed to have close ties to the family of the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, were released shortly after their arrests and Salehi too was subsequently released on bail in October. It was not clear which two of the remaining three were in court with Rezaian on Monday. | The 39-year-old reporter was arrested at his home in Tehran along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, also a journalist, and two friends, an Iranian-American couple. The two friends, who are believed to have close ties to the family of the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, were released shortly after their arrests and Salehi too was subsequently released on bail in October. It was not clear which two of the remaining three were in court with Rezaian on Monday. |
| It is also not clear why Rezaian, who was working in Iran with appropriate accreditation, is being tried for espionage, a charge his family and the Washington Post have vehemently denied. Although he holds Iranian and US citizenship, Iran is treating him solely as an Iranian as the country does not recognise such dual nationality. Iranian intelligence authorities have a deep suspicion of dual nationals and have arrested a number of them in recent years. | It is also not clear why Rezaian, who was working in Iran with appropriate accreditation, is being tried for espionage, a charge his family and the Washington Post have vehemently denied. Although he holds Iranian and US citizenship, Iran is treating him solely as an Iranian as the country does not recognise such dual nationality. Iranian intelligence authorities have a deep suspicion of dual nationals and have arrested a number of them in recent years. |
| According to Rezaian’s brother, Ali, two pieces of evidence used against him were a visa application he had lodged for his Iranian wife in order to be able to travel to the US and a letter he sent to Barack Obama’s 2008 White House transition team offering help to improve bilateral relations between Iran and the US. | According to Rezaian’s brother, Ali, two pieces of evidence used against him were a visa application he had lodged for his Iranian wife in order to be able to travel to the US and a letter he sent to Barack Obama’s 2008 White House transition team offering help to improve bilateral relations between Iran and the US. |
| Rezaian is also facing the charges of collecting confidential information and spreading propaganda against the Islamic republic. A report carried by a hardline Iranian news agency, Fars, alleged that he provided economic and industrial data to the US government. | Rezaian is also facing the charges of collecting confidential information and spreading propaganda against the Islamic republic. A report carried by a hardline Iranian news agency, Fars, alleged that he provided economic and industrial data to the US government. |
| The case has brought much embarrassment for Rouhani, whose administration is seeking to improve relations with the west. After his election victory in 2013, the Washington Post was the first international newspaper to which Rouhani reached out to publish his opinion piece in which he set out his global vision. Nevertheless, he has remained quiet in defence of Rezaian. | The case has brought much embarrassment for Rouhani, whose administration is seeking to improve relations with the west. After his election victory in 2013, the Washington Post was the first international newspaper to which Rouhani reached out to publish his opinion piece in which he set out his global vision. Nevertheless, he has remained quiet in defence of Rezaian. |
| Iran’s conservative-dominated judiciary, which has the full control over Rezaian’s case, acts independently of Rouhani’s government. But the president can still use his position as the public face of the Islamic republic to defend those in prison unjustly. | Iran’s conservative-dominated judiciary, which has the full control over Rezaian’s case, acts independently of Rouhani’s government. But the president can still use his position as the public face of the Islamic republic to defend those in prison unjustly. |
| Many analysts believe Rezaian is caught up in a high-level feud between Rouhani’s administration and its internal opponents. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in April that the case was being used in an Iranian power struggle. | Many analysts believe Rezaian is caught up in a high-level feud between Rouhani’s administration and its internal opponents. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in April that the case was being used in an Iranian power struggle. |
| “Iranian opponents of the nuclear accord with the United States and better relations with the international community have been referring to the Rezaian case since 3 April, and this is no coincidence because Rezaian was arrested with the aim of being used in this all-out war between rival ruling factions,” said head of RSF’s Iran desk, Reza Moini. | “Iranian opponents of the nuclear accord with the United States and better relations with the international community have been referring to the Rezaian case since 3 April, and this is no coincidence because Rezaian was arrested with the aim of being used in this all-out war between rival ruling factions,” said head of RSF’s Iran desk, Reza Moini. |
| “Unfortunately, the governments led by Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani let slip an opportunity to include human rights and the release of journalists as one of the priorities in their talks. We call for the immediate release of Jason Rezaian and all the other detained journalists and bloggers.” | “Unfortunately, the governments led by Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani let slip an opportunity to include human rights and the release of journalists as one of the priorities in their talks. We call for the immediate release of Jason Rezaian and all the other detained journalists and bloggers.” |
| Related: Rosewater review – Jon Stewart directs tale of torture in Iran | Related: Rosewater review – Jon Stewart directs tale of torture in Iran |
| Obama told Rezaian’s brother in April: “We will not rest until we bring him home to his family, safe and sound.” More than 400,000 people have petitioned Iran’s judiciary to release Rezaian, including Noam Chomsky, Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour. | Obama told Rezaian’s brother in April: “We will not rest until we bring him home to his family, safe and sound.” More than 400,000 people have petitioned Iran’s judiciary to release Rezaian, including Noam Chomsky, Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour. |
| The country has a history of jailing journalists working for the foreign press. Those previously jailed in Iran include Maziar Bahari, whose ordeal in prison was the subject of Rosewater, a film by the US satarist Jon Stewart recently released in the UK. | The country has a history of jailing journalists working for the foreign press. Those previously jailed in Iran include Maziar Bahari, whose ordeal in prison was the subject of Rosewater, a film by the US satarist Jon Stewart recently released in the UK. |