Free Jason now
Alongside the teetering talks between the U. S. and Iran over nuclear weapons work, there’s a tag- along issue that can’t be overlooked. Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter jailed for nine months in a Tehran prison, now faces serious espionage charges, deepening his predicament.
The charges “could not be more ludicrous,” Post Executive Editor Marty Baron says. White House spokesman Josh Earnest calls the charges “absurd,” and said the jailed journalist “should be freed immediately.’’
Both are right, but Iranian authorities aren’t budging, refusing to explain the claims or offer a plausible explanation for his treatment. Rezaian, who has dual American and Iranian citizenship, grew up in Marin County and once worked as a freelance writer for The Chronicle. In 2012 he became the Post’s Tehran bureau chief and was arrested last July.
Here’s where the what, where and why of journalism kicks in. There are no specifics or evidence in the announced charges, only outlines of his alleged misdeeds such as “espionage through collecting policies regarding the country’s domestic and foreign policy.’’
According to his Iranian lawyer, whose prison visits are overseen by an official government interpreter, Rezaian is also accused of “collaborating with hostile governments as well as writing a letter to President Obama.’’ It’s hard to imagine allegations that could make less sense.
Rezaian resides in a Tehran jail known for harsh conditions and reserved for political prisoners. His wife and two other Iranians, seized at the same time last year, were released on the condition they say nothing about the situation. He may soon face trial before a judge considered especially strict in sentencing government critics.
Reporters shouldn’t be bargaining chips, but Rezaian has become one. His imprisonment amounts to a taunt by Iranian hardliners who want to disrupt the nuclear deal that others in their country want to complete. These angry voices control the legal system that has entrapped Rezaian, and they are using the phony claims and arrest to pump up public worries and rally government officials against the agreement.
The situation adds another layer of mistrust and doubt as a framework is finalized that would drop sanctions on Iran in exchange for verifiable controls on the country’s nuclear weapons work.
U. S. negotiators have avoided including Rezaian’s mistreatment in the weapons talks, unwilling to complicate matters with another issue. But an American citizen and news reporter can’t be left in jail and forgotten.
Washington must demand his his freedom.