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As Jason Rezaian Stands Trial in Iran, Former Prisoners Share Their Experiences As Jason Rezaian Stands Trial in Iran, Former Prisoners Share Their Experiences
(about 11 hours later)
Few facts are known about the espionage case against Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post correspondent in Iran who went on trial Tuesday in a closed Tehran courtroom, in front of a Revolutionary Court judge known for harsh sentences.Few facts are known about the espionage case against Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post correspondent in Iran who went on trial Tuesday in a closed Tehran courtroom, in front of a Revolutionary Court judge known for harsh sentences.
Shane M. Bauer and Joshua F. Fattal, two hikers arrested in 2009 and held for more than two years in Iran, were convicted of espionage and trespassing by the same judge, Abolghassem Salavati. Roxana Saberi, a journalist who, like Mr. Rezaian, is an American of Iranian descent, was sentenced to eight years in prison before she was released after 100 days.Shane M. Bauer and Joshua F. Fattal, two hikers arrested in 2009 and held for more than two years in Iran, were convicted of espionage and trespassing by the same judge, Abolghassem Salavati. Roxana Saberi, a journalist who, like Mr. Rezaian, is an American of Iranian descent, was sentenced to eight years in prison before she was released after 100 days.
They shared their experiences of the Iranian court system from their closed trials.They shared their experiences of the Iranian court system from their closed trials.
Q. How did you get information from the court?Q. How did you get information from the court?
Shane M. Bauer, held from July 2009 to September 2011: I never got information from the court until I went to court. The only bits of information about our case I got were from our interrogators. We all went through two months of interrogations when we were first captured. And during that time they were the only other people we saw. Even after that, they were still our conduits to the outside world.Shane M. Bauer, held from July 2009 to September 2011: I never got information from the court until I went to court. The only bits of information about our case I got were from our interrogators. We all went through two months of interrogations when we were first captured. And during that time they were the only other people we saw. Even after that, they were still our conduits to the outside world.
We would hear about upcoming court dates from TV. We had a TV in our cell. It was all in Iranian, but there was an English-language ticker on the bottom of the screen. That’s how we found out that our court date had been set about a year and a half after we were first detained.We would hear about upcoming court dates from TV. We had a TV in our cell. It was all in Iranian, but there was an English-language ticker on the bottom of the screen. That’s how we found out that our court date had been set about a year and a half after we were first detained.
Joshua F. Fattal, held with Mr. Bauer: I heard that my trial approached through letters from family, whispers from fellow prisoners and a news report on TV — never from my interrogators or the prison guards. The court itself was a black box.Joshua F. Fattal, held with Mr. Bauer: I heard that my trial approached through letters from family, whispers from fellow prisoners and a news report on TV — never from my interrogators or the prison guards. The court itself was a black box.
Q. How were you able to participate in your own defense?Q. How were you able to participate in your own defense?
Roxana Saberi, held for 100 days in 2009: I was not allowed to have an attorney until weeks after my arrest. He told me several times, “I’m under a lot of pressure,” implying that my captors were somehow threatening him. That may be why he hardly spoke during my trial, and I did my best to defend myself in Persian, which is not my native language.Roxana Saberi, held for 100 days in 2009: I was not allowed to have an attorney until weeks after my arrest. He told me several times, “I’m under a lot of pressure,” implying that my captors were somehow threatening him. That may be why he hardly spoke during my trial, and I did my best to defend myself in Persian, which is not my native language.
The prosecutor presented my false confession as evidence of espionage, even though I had withdrawn it. An intelligence agent announced that an Iranian acquaintance of mine admitted to having given me classified documents because he was “captivated” by me and I promised to marry him — a ridiculous claim. I was not allowed to see or cross-examine this witness.The prosecutor presented my false confession as evidence of espionage, even though I had withdrawn it. An intelligence agent announced that an Iranian acquaintance of mine admitted to having given me classified documents because he was “captivated” by me and I promised to marry him — a ridiculous claim. I was not allowed to see or cross-examine this witness.
Mr. Bauer: We couldn’t even sit next to our lawyer during the trial. We never even talked to him throughout the entire trial. The judge would ask us questions, and we would have to write down our answers to questions. A few times they asked us to respond verbally, and Press TV filmed us. When they stopped filming they told us to not even bother finish answering and just answer on paper. Mr. Bauer: We couldn’t even sit next to our lawyer during the trial. We never even talked to him throughout the entire trial. The judge would ask us questions, and we would have to write down our answers to questions. A few times they asked us to respond verbally, and Press TV filmed us. When they stopped filming they told us to not even bother to finish answering and just answer on paper.
Mr. Fattal: The trial was never about me. I remember thinking that if I were being framed in America they would use real events from my life and spin it with circumstantial evidence to make me look guilty. But Iran was less creative. They just made up evidence.Mr. Fattal: The trial was never about me. I remember thinking that if I were being framed in America they would use real events from my life and spin it with circumstantial evidence to make me look guilty. But Iran was less creative. They just made up evidence.
Q. What do you remember about the judge in your case, Abolghassem Salavati?Q. What do you remember about the judge in your case, Abolghassem Salavati?
Mr. Bauer: I didn’t know anything about him before we went to his court, which was fortunate because it would have made me a lot more nervous.Mr. Bauer: I didn’t know anything about him before we went to his court, which was fortunate because it would have made me a lot more nervous.
We had two hearings before him. In the first hearing, he was sort of calm and reserved and didn’t say much. In the second hearing he got really agitated. There was a little bit of a battle between him and our lawyer. At one point he started interrogating our lawyer: Why are you representing these American spies? Who are you, really?We had two hearings before him. In the first hearing, he was sort of calm and reserved and didn’t say much. In the second hearing he got really agitated. There was a little bit of a battle between him and our lawyer. At one point he started interrogating our lawyer: Why are you representing these American spies? Who are you, really?
Our lawyer was saying, in our defense, that even we were critical of the United States government. And he too would criticize the U.S. government. And then the judge too kept saying how critical he was of the United States. It became this weird contest of who could prove they were most critical of the U.S. government. The judge kept boasting about how he had sanctions against him.Our lawyer was saying, in our defense, that even we were critical of the United States government. And he too would criticize the U.S. government. And then the judge too kept saying how critical he was of the United States. It became this weird contest of who could prove they were most critical of the U.S. government. The judge kept boasting about how he had sanctions against him.
Mr. Fattal: My first impression of Salavati was that he wore all these colorful robes and had a gruff face. He didn’t smile when I winked at him.Mr. Fattal: My first impression of Salavati was that he wore all these colorful robes and had a gruff face. He didn’t smile when I winked at him.
Q. At what point did you realize you would be released and how did you learn of this news?Q. At what point did you realize you would be released and how did you learn of this news?
Mr. Bauer: A month after our second hearing, we were called in for the verdict. We went to Judge Salavati’s office. It was a bizarre scene. He was on his cellphone, distracted while he told us we were going to get eight years in prison. We were sentenced for espionage and illegal entry into the country.Mr. Bauer: A month after our second hearing, we were called in for the verdict. We went to Judge Salavati’s office. It was a bizarre scene. He was on his cellphone, distracted while he told us we were going to get eight years in prison. We were sentenced for espionage and illegal entry into the country.
When we got the sentence, we were actually happy. We felt we wouldn’t be released until we were actually convicted. That is how it happened in other cases. And we figured that is how it was going to happen. The whole time we were in prison, we were basically waiting and hoping we’d go to trial and get convicted and sentenced. That was the only way we were going to get released.When we got the sentence, we were actually happy. We felt we wouldn’t be released until we were actually convicted. That is how it happened in other cases. And we figured that is how it was going to happen. The whole time we were in prison, we were basically waiting and hoping we’d go to trial and get convicted and sentenced. That was the only way we were going to get released.
Ms. Saberi: I had an appellate trial on May 10, 2009. The next day, I was driven back to the appellate court and a judge read my verdict aloud. The vocabulary was so complex, I couldn’t follow it well. I heard him say something about Islamic forgiveness, a suspended sentence and not being allowed to work as a journalist in Iran for five years. I was shocked to hear that I would be allowed to leave prison that day.Ms. Saberi: I had an appellate trial on May 10, 2009. The next day, I was driven back to the appellate court and a judge read my verdict aloud. The vocabulary was so complex, I couldn’t follow it well. I heard him say something about Islamic forgiveness, a suspended sentence and not being allowed to work as a journalist in Iran for five years. I was shocked to hear that I would be allowed to leave prison that day.