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| Freed journalist Jason Rezaian sought to improve Iran's image in the world | Freed journalist Jason Rezaian sought to improve Iran's image in the world |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| For Jason Rezaian, the implementation of Iran’s historic nuclear agreement with the rest of the world has meant the end of his own isolation. | For Jason Rezaian, the implementation of Iran’s historic nuclear agreement with the rest of the world has meant the end of his own isolation. |
| Related: Iran releases Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian | Related: Iran releases Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian |
| As the Islamic Republic is brought in from the cold with the lifting of decade-long sanctions, the Washington Post journalist became one of four prisoners released to the US. A US official later confirmed the deal involved the release or dropping of charges against seven Iranians accused of sanctions violations. | |
| Rezaian had been held since July 2014, spending more than 500 days in jail. He was convicted, on charges including espionage, in a closed-door trial in October 2015. He was given a sentence of unspecifed length. | |
| His fate was discussed during the negotiation of the multinational deal over Iranian nuclear ambitions, which was concluded last July and under which sanctions on Iran began to be lifted on Saturday. | |
| Rezaian was born in Marin County, north of the San Francisco Bay area, three years before the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran. His mother, Mary, is American and his late father, Taghi, an Iranian who emigrated to the US two decades before the birth of his son. | Rezaian was born in Marin County, north of the San Francisco Bay area, three years before the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran. His mother, Mary, is American and his late father, Taghi, an Iranian who emigrated to the US two decades before the birth of his son. |
| Rezaian attended college in New York and then got involved in his father’s carpet-selling business before pursuing a career in journalism. He wrote for a number of publications, including writing a regular column on Iran for the San Francisco Chronicle. | Rezaian attended college in New York and then got involved in his father’s carpet-selling business before pursuing a career in journalism. He wrote for a number of publications, including writing a regular column on Iran for the San Francisco Chronicle. |
| His interest in his father’s homeland led him to apply for an Iranian passport and eventually, in 2008, to move to Tehran. | His interest in his father’s homeland led him to apply for an Iranian passport and eventually, in 2008, to move to Tehran. |
| According to his family, Rezaian was particularly intent on showing a better image of Iran to the world, especially his fellow Americans. | According to his family, Rezaian was particularly intent on showing a better image of Iran to the world, especially his fellow Americans. |
| “He wanted people to know that Iranians have the same aspirations and hopes and dreams for their families that people all around the west and everywhere else do, and to get rid of this one-dimensional view of Iran,” his brother, Ali, has said. | “He wanted people to know that Iranians have the same aspirations and hopes and dreams for their families that people all around the west and everywhere else do, and to get rid of this one-dimensional view of Iran,” his brother, Ali, has said. |
| Rezaian was accredited as a journalist by Iran’s ministry of culture and Islamic guidance and had permission to operate in the country. He was always careful not to cross the red lines, his family members have said, and his last article before being arrested was about baseball in Iran. Several months before that, he had travelled to Vienna to cover the nuclear negotiations. | Rezaian was accredited as a journalist by Iran’s ministry of culture and Islamic guidance and had permission to operate in the country. He was always careful not to cross the red lines, his family members have said, and his last article before being arrested was about baseball in Iran. Several months before that, he had travelled to Vienna to cover the nuclear negotiations. |
| Rezaian joined the Washington Post in 2012 as its Tehran correspondent, replacing Thomas Erdbrink, who now works for the New York Times in the Iranian capital. | Rezaian joined the Washington Post in 2012 as its Tehran correspondent, replacing Thomas Erdbrink, who now works for the New York Times in the Iranian capital. |
| A year later, Rezaian married the Iranian journalist Yeganeh Salehi, who wrote for the UAE-based National newspaper. | A year later, Rezaian married the Iranian journalist Yeganeh Salehi, who wrote for the UAE-based National newspaper. |
| After his arrest – with his wife, who was later released on bail – Rezaian was held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison and reportedly denied access to a lawyer. | |
| According to the Washington Post, Rezaian was suffering physically and mentally in jail. He “continues to lose weight; he suffers from blood pressure complications and other physical and mental medical conditions that remain untreated or poorly treated”, the newspaper’s latest United Nations filing said. | |
| Related: Lifting of Iran sanctions is 'a good day for the world' | |
| Iran does not recognise dual citizenship, has a deep suspicion of dual citizens and and treated Rezaian as solely Iranian. | |
| Many analysts believe the reporter was caught up in a high-level feud between the administration of reformist Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and its internal opponents, who saw in his arrest a chance to embarrass the leader and complicate his negotiations. | |
| Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had called Rezaian a “fair reporter”, but the country has a history of jailing journalists, including those working for the foreign press. Those previously jailed in Iran include Maziar Bahari, whose ordeal in prison was the subject of Rosewater, a film directed by Jon Stewart. | |
| After Rezaian’s release it holds 18 journalists, second only to China and Egypt, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. | |
| The other three prisoners released by Tehran in the swap are believed to be former marine Amir Hekmati, pastor Saeed Abedini and businessman Siamak Namazi. |