An Iranian court has issued a verdict in the espionage trial of "Washington Post" reporter Jason Rezaian, a spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said Sunday. Rezaian has been held in Iran since July 22, 2014. USA TODAY
Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian — who has been held in Iran for over a year on charges including espionage — has been convicted, a spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said Sunday.
Officials said earlier in the day that an Iranian revolutionary court issued a verdict in Rezaian’s trial, but did not say what it was.
In a broadcast on state TV late Sunday, judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi said: "He has been convicted, but I don't have the verdict's details," according to the Associated Press. Ejehi said Rezaian and his lawyer are eligible to appeal the conviction within 20 days.
The Isna news agency also reported Sunday that Rezaian was convicted, quoting Ejehi.
Rezaian, an Iranian-American Post correspondent in Tehran, was detained by the Iranian government, along with his wife and two others on July 22, 2014. The 39-year old Californian, now held in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, has been in an Iranian jail longer than any other Western journalist on charges of espionage and other crimes.
His Iranian wife and journalist, Yeganeh Salehi, and the others detained with him have been released. Rezaian’s lawyer, his family and the Post have vehemently denied the charges.
Leila Ahsan, Rezaian’s lawyer, told the AP on Sunday that “there are no new developments” and said she has not yet received the verdict. Ahsan was not reachable for comment on Monday.
In a statement Monday, Martin Baron, the Post’s executive editor, said the guilty verdict “represents an outrageous injustice.”
He added: “Iran has behaved unconscionably throughout this case, but never more so than with this indefensible decision by a Revolutionary Court to convict an innocent journalist of serious crimes after a proceeding that unfolded in secret, with no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing. For now, no sentence has been announced.
“We are working with Jason’s family and Iranian counsel to pursue an immediate appeal, and we expect Jason’s lawyer, Leila Ahsan, also to petition for Jason to be released on bail pending a final resolution of the case.”
Ali Rezaian, Jason’s brother, released a statement in which he called the verdict "just another sad chapter in his 14-month illegal imprisonment and opaque trial process."
U.S. officials, international organizations and press advocates have called for Rezaian's release. State Department spokesman John Kirby told the Post that U.S. officials have received no confirmation or details from the Iranian government. He said the department continues to demand that Iran drop all charges against Rezaian and release him.
Two weeks ago, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told CNN that freedom for Rezaian and two other Americans being held in Iran could be expedited if the U.S. would release Iranians being held here. The other Americans are Amir Hekmati, a former Marine sentenced to death in January 2012 for espionage, and Saeed Abedini, a pastor detained in Iran in 2012 and sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of attempting to undermine the government.
It was not clear who the Iranians were that Rouhani wants freed.
Contributing: Roger Yu
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1RAUjC8
An Iranian court has issued a verdict in the espionage trial of "Washington Post" reporter Jason Rezaian, a spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said Sunday. Rezaian has been held in Iran since July 22, 2014. USA TODAY
Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian — who has been held in Iran for over a year on charges including espionage — has been convicted, a spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said Sunday.
Officials said earlier in the day that an Iranian revolutionary court issued a verdict in Rezaian’s trial, but did not say what it was.
In a broadcast on state TV late Sunday, judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi said: "He has been convicted, but I don't have the verdict's details," according to the Associated Press. Ejehi said Rezaian and his lawyer are eligible to appeal the conviction within 20 days.
The Isna news agency also reported Sunday that Rezaian was convicted, quoting Ejehi.
Rezaian, an Iranian-American Post correspondent in Tehran, was detained by the Iranian government, along with his wife and two others on July 22, 2014. The 39-year old Californian, now held in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, has been in an Iranian jail longer than any other Western journalist on charges of espionage and other crimes.
His Iranian wife and journalist, Yeganeh Salehi, and the others detained with him have been released. Rezaian’s lawyer, his family and the Post have vehemently denied the charges.
Leila Ahsan, Rezaian’s lawyer, told the AP on Sunday that “there are no new developments” and said she has not yet received the verdict. Ahsan was not reachable for comment on Monday.
In a statement Monday, Martin Baron, the Post’s executive editor, said the guilty verdict “represents an outrageous injustice.”
He added: “Iran has behaved unconscionably throughout this case, but never more so than with this indefensible decision by a Revolutionary Court to convict an innocent journalist of serious crimes after a proceeding that unfolded in secret, with no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing. For now, no sentence has been announced.
“We are working with Jason’s family and Iranian counsel to pursue an immediate appeal, and we expect Jason’s lawyer, Leila Ahsan, also to petition for Jason to be released on bail pending a final resolution of the case.”
Ali Rezaian, Jason’s brother, released a statement in which he called the verdict "just another sad chapter in his 14-month illegal imprisonment and opaque trial process."
U.S. officials, international organizations and press advocates have called for Rezaian's release. State Department spokesman John Kirby told the Post that U.S. officials have received no confirmation or details from the Iranian government. He said the department continues to demand that Iran drop all charges against Rezaian and release him.
Two weeks ago, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told CNN that freedom for Rezaian and two other Americans being held in Iran could be expedited if the U.S. would release Iranians being held here. The other Americans are Amir Hekmati, a former Marine sentenced to death in January 2012 for espionage, and Saeed Abedini, a pastor detained in Iran in 2012 and sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of attempting to undermine the government.
It was not clear who the Iranians were that Rouhani wants freed.
Contributing: Roger Yu
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1RAUjC8
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