Washington Post journo goes on trial in Iran
Dubai, May 26: Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian went on trial on espionage charges behind closed doors in Tehran on Tuesday, 10 months after he was arrested at his home and imprisoned, Iran’s semi- official Tasnim news agency reported.
His wife Yeganeh Salehi and a woman described as a photojournalist, who were detained with him in July but later released, also went on trial, the official IRNA news agency said without giving any details on their charges. The three, all US- Iranian, were in court for around two hours before the session was adjourned, IRNA added.
Iranian authorities have not released details of any charges and pressed on with the case in the face of calls from US President Barack Obama, family members and rights groups for Rezaian’s release and more information on the charges. The case has put pressure on US- Iranian relations, while Tehran, Washington and five other world powers have been trying to hammer out a deal to end a decadeold standoff over Iran’s nuclear programme.
“He ( Rezaian) has been charged with espionage for collecting confidential information ... and handing it to hostile governments, writing a letter to Mr Obama and acting against national security,” lawyer Leila Ahsan told Tasnim. Rezaian’s brother Ali told Reuters Television on Monday that family members had been barred from attending the Revolutionary Court session.
“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,” Rezaian said. “It’s unlike the Iranian court system, Iranian government, to keep things private when they can go out and use propaganda up against people,” he added.
He said his brother, the Post’s Tehran bureau chief, who is from Marin County, California, had lost 40 pounds ( 18 kg) in prison.