This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/13/iran-trial-of-washington-post-correspondent-jason-rezaian-resumes
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Iran trial of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian resumes | Iran trial of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian resumes |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Iran’s official Irna news agency is reporting that a court has begun the third session in the trial of the detained Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian. | Iran’s official Irna news agency is reporting that a court has begun the third session in the trial of the detained Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian. |
| Iran held two sessions for Rezaian in May and June in a revolutionary court on charges including espionage and distributing propaganda against the Islamic republic. US officials, the Post and rights groups have criticised his trial. | Iran held two sessions for Rezaian in May and June in a revolutionary court on charges including espionage and distributing propaganda against the Islamic republic. US officials, the Post and rights groups have criticised his trial. |
| Rezaian, his wife and two photojournalists were detained in July 2014 in Tehran. All were later released except Rezaian, who has been held for more than 300 days. | |
| It is also not clear why Rezaian, who was working in Iran with appropriate accreditation, is being tried for espionage, a charge his family and the Washington Post have vehemently denied. Although he holds Iranian and US citizenship, Iran is treating him solely as an Iranian as the country does not recognise such dual nationality. Iranian intelligence authorities have a deep suspicion of dual nationals and have arrested a number of them in recent years. | It is also not clear why Rezaian, who was working in Iran with appropriate accreditation, is being tried for espionage, a charge his family and the Washington Post have vehemently denied. Although he holds Iranian and US citizenship, Iran is treating him solely as an Iranian as the country does not recognise such dual nationality. Iranian intelligence authorities have a deep suspicion of dual nationals and have arrested a number of them in recent years. |
| The case has brought much embarrassment for Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, whose administration is seeking to improve relations with the west. After his election victory in 2013, the Washington Post was the first international newspaper to which Rouhani reached out to publish his opinion piece in which he set out his global vision. Nevertheless, he has not spoken out in defence of Rezaian. | |
| Iran’s conservative-dominated judiciary, which has the full control over Rezaian’s case, acts independently of Rouhani’s government. But the president can still use his position as the public face of the Islamic republic to defend those in prison unjustly. | Iran’s conservative-dominated judiciary, which has the full control over Rezaian’s case, acts independently of Rouhani’s government. But the president can still use his position as the public face of the Islamic republic to defend those in prison unjustly. |
| Many analysts believe Rezaian is caught up in a high-level feud between Rouhani’s administration and its internal opponents. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in April that the case was being used in an Iranian power struggle. | Many analysts believe Rezaian is caught up in a high-level feud between Rouhani’s administration and its internal opponents. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in April that the case was being used in an Iranian power struggle. |