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New Hearing Begins in Iran for Washington Post Correspondent Jason Rezaian No Outcome After Hearing in Rezaian Spy Case in Tehran
(about 11 hours later)
TEHRAN — A third hearing in the espionage trial of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post correspondent who has been imprisoned in Iran for nearly a year, was underway on Monday in Tehran, the state news agency IRNA reported. TEHRAN — A third hearing in the espionage trial of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post correspondent who has been imprisoned in Iran for nearly a year, was held on Monday, ending without a conclusion or any indication of a resumption date.
Mr. Rezaian, 39, is accused of engaging in espionage on behalf of the United States government and conducting activities against Iran, IRNA reported. He has denied the accusations. Mr. Rezaian, a 39-year-old Californian, was not seen by reporters and spectators, including his mother and wife, outside Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, where his trial has been held intermittently over the past two months, closed to the public.
Mr. Rezaian is one of at least three Americans in Iranian prisons, an issue repeatedly raised by American negotiators in nuclear talks with Iran, though there has been no indication that it would be part of any deal. Word of the latest hearing came from Iran’s official news agency and his Iranian lawyer, who has been the only person permitted in the courtroom with him.
Mr. Rezaian’s mother, Mary, who lives in Turkey, has been permitted to visit him a few times, but her effort to attend the trial has been rebuffed. The lawyer, Leila Ahsan, told relatives afterward that the hearing had ended inconclusively. She has been prohibited from discussing details of the proceedings.
“We have no idea what happened, we were not able to see Jason,” she told reporters on Monday. Mr. Rezaian, who has been the Washington Post’s Tehran bureau chief since 2012, is accused of engaging in espionage on behalf of the United States government and conducting activities against Iran. Although he is a dual citizen of both countries, the Iranian government recognizes only his Iranian citizenship.
As negotiators from Iran and six world powers were trying to hammer out the remaining details of what could be a historic deal that would limit Tehran’s nuclear ability, Ms. Rezaian told ABC that she was disappointed her son was not able to cover the event. To supporters of Mr. Rezaian, who has asserted his innocence, the hearing was another chapter in what they have called an absurd prosecution that has helped bare the limits on press freedom in Iran and the inequities of its judicial system.
“I wish Jason was out so he could cover this wonderful story of Iran and the U.S.,” Ms. Rezaian said. “We call again on Iran to deliver a speedy, fair and impartial judgment in Jason’s case, one that could only result in his acquittal, immediate release and a long-overdue reunion with his family,” Martin Baron, the Washington Post’s executive editor, said in a statement.
Mr. Baron has been outspoken about the case, describing the prosecution as Kafkaesque. “It is long past time to bring an end to the nightmare,” he said.
Mr. Rezaian is one of at least three American citizens in Iranian prisons, an issue repeatedly raised by the American side in nuclear talks with Iran, though there has been no indication that their release would be part of any deal.
Mr. Rezaian’s mother, Mary, who lives in Turkey but has been staying in Tehran while the trial is underway, has been permitted to visit him a few times, but her effort to attend the trial has been rebuffed.
“We have no idea what happened; we were not able to see Jason,” she told reporters on Monday after she and Mr. Rezaian’s Iranian wife, Yeganeh Salehi, a reporter for a United Arab Emirates newspaper, had sought entry to the court.
Ms. Salehi, who was arrested with her husband on July 22 of last year but released on bail a few months later, was in tears. She is to be tried separately, is forbidden from working, and has been warned not to discuss the case as a condition of bail.
As negotiators from Iran and six world powers were trying to hammer out the remaining details of what could be a historic deal that would limit Tehran’s nuclear ability, Mr. Rezaian’s mother told ABC News that she was disappointed her son had not been able to report on the event.
“I wish Jason was out so he could cover this wonderful story of Iran and the U.S.,” Ms. Rezaian was quoted as saying by ABC.
She reiterated to reporters that Mr. Rezaian was innocent. “Jason is not a murderer, not a spy,” she said. “We want him to be released.”She reiterated to reporters that Mr. Rezaian was innocent. “Jason is not a murderer, not a spy,” she said. “We want him to be released.”
The Rezaian case has come to typify what critics of Iran have called its arbitrary and opaque judicial system. Mr. Rezaian was arrested on July 22, 2014, and placed in solitary confinement for long periods. The judiciary did not disclose the nature of the charges against him for months, and it restricted his access to legal counsel. Leila Ahsan, his lawyer, has said that the evidence she has seen does not support the charges against him. Mr. Rezaian has lost 40 pounds during his incarceration in Tehran’s Evin Prison, where he was initially placed in solitary confinement for long periods and subjected to repeated interrogations, his family has said. For months, the judiciary did not disclose the nature of the charges against him, and it restricted his access to a lawyer. Ms. Ahsan, his lawyer, has said that the evidence she has seen does not support the charges against him.
The other Americans held in Iran include Amir Hekmati, 31, a Marine veteran from Flint, Mich., and Saeed Abedini, 34, a Christian cleric from Boise, Idaho.The other Americans held in Iran include Amir Hekmati, 31, a Marine veteran from Flint, Mich., and Saeed Abedini, 34, a Christian cleric from Boise, Idaho.
A fourth American, Robert A. Levinson, 67, disappeared in Iran eight years ago. The Iranian authorities have said they have no information on his whereabouts.A fourth American, Robert A. Levinson, 67, disappeared in Iran eight years ago. The Iranian authorities have said they have no information on his whereabouts.
In an emailed message, Mr. Rezaian’s brother said on Sunday night that Ms. Ahsan had been recently informed of the hearing date. She has been prohibited from discussing the proceedings, and the trial is closed to the public.
“Jason’s continued detention is as baseless as it is cruel and unjust,” the brother, Ali Rezaian, said in the message. “We ask the Iranian judiciary to put an end to the delays in his trial, release Jason and allow him to reunite with his family.”