Jason Rezaian faces trial in Iran (Washington Post reporter trial begins Tuesday)

The Washington Post ^ | May 22 at 9:33 PM

[Dave346]

JASON REZAIAN, a journalist who was born and raised in California, moved to Iran in 2008 with the hope of promoting a better understanding of his father’s homeland. After joining The Post in 2012, he wrote about political and economic issues but also took on such subjects as Iranian baseball. He earned the respect of senior officials: Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, has called him “a friend” and “a good reporter.”

Mr. Rezaian nevertheless is scheduled to go on trial Tuesday, along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, and a photographer, in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. Arrested at home July 22, he has been held for 305 days as of Friday in the notorious Evin prison, where he has been subjected to harsh interrogations and suffered through long stretches of solitary confinement.

The Post reporter appears to be a pawn in Iran’s internal power struggles or in the leadership’s attempt to show that a prospective nuclear accord will not alter its enmity toward the United States, or perhaps both. Very little about his case is transparent: His lawyer has been allowed to meet with him only once and said she learned of the trial date through the media.

What is absolutely clear is that Mr. Rezaian is entirely innocent of the charges, including espionage, that have been lodged against him.

Placing Mr. Rezaian on trial just 35 days before the deadline for completing the accord looks like yet another attempt at intimidation — one that relies on the blatant abuse of the human rights of an American journalist. If Mr. Khamenei were serious about defusing Iran’s confrontation with the West, he would instead release Mr. Rezaian — and offer him the apology he deserves.

[Timber Rattler]

Well, I guess he got the “better understanding” he was looking for.

[ConservativeMind]

He’s a reporter for the Washington Post AND he decided to live in Iran. The Iranians want to kill him.

I don’t see the problem.

[DH]

How in the world is anyone supposed to feel sorry for someone who knowingly places themselves in a situation that has the extreme potential to turn out like this?

It’s not our problem...it’s his problem. The cause? A complete lack of common sense.

[VanShuyten]

He was on CNN’s Anthony Bourdain’s Iran episode. It’s worth watching, if just for the reminder that many journalists suspend belief in order to do their jobs.

[Dave346]

Here’s a video of Reznaian in November 2012. He makes the ridiculous statement that the “vast majority” of Iranians wanted Zero to win reelection. Clearly Reznaian missed / forget the entire Green Revolution when Zero turned his back on the Iranian people in favor of the regime.

To the extent that the Reznian’s statement may have been true, it is only because the Iranian people are too afraid now to speak to reporters about their desire to have the regime overthrown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrQqybangrA