The Washington Post

Iran allows lawyer for Post reporter, but not his choice


The Post's Jason Rezaian in Washington, D.C., on November 6, 2013. (Zoeann Murphy/The Washington Post/File)

A Washington Post reporter imprisoned in Iran has been granted access to an attorney — but not the one of his choosing.

Jason Rezaian, who has been the paper’s Tehran correspondent since 2012 and holds U.S. and Iranian citizenship, has spent 222 days in Tehran’s Evin Prison. Family members say that their preferred attorney was blocked by the country’s Revolutionary Court, which last week had given them a deadline of March 2 to present one that was “acceptable.”

“For nearly a month our family’s chosen attorney Masoud Shafii has worked tirelessly under pressure from the judiciary to be assigned as Jason’s attorney,” the family said in a statement. “It is clear that despite his best efforts he will not be permitted to represent Jason.”

[Read: Full coverage of Jason Rezaian’s detention in Iran]

Shafii, who specializes in dealing with U.S.-related legal problems, represented three American hikers who were captured in Iran in 2009 and held at Evin for 781 days. In his stead, the family hired Leila Ahsan, who also represents Rezaian’s wife, Yeganeh Salehi, an Iranian journalist who was captured and released on bail in October.

Jason Rezaian’s journey has taken him from a childhood in San Francisco to his father’s native Iran. At 37, he became the Washington Post correspondent in Tehran. In July 2014, he was thrown into Iran’s Evin Prison, where he remains, without access to a lawyer. This is his story. (Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post)

The Iranian government has not publicly identified the nature of the charges against Rezaian, 38, other than to accuse him in a statement of participating in activities outside the scope of journalism.

Although a trial date has not been scheduled, Rezaian’s case has been assigned to Abolghassem Salavati, a hard-line judge who heads a branch of the court that specializes in sensitive cases. Salavati is known for delivering harsh sentences, including lashings and execution, and has been sanctioned by the European Union since 2011.

Under Iranian law, each defendant is allowed to have three attorneys. The Rezaian family said they hope to include Shafii in the defense team led by Ahsan. “We are hopeful that her knowledge of the case and access to the files will ensure that there are no further unwarranted delays in the process,” the family said.

Martin Baron, executive editor of The Post, expressed anger over Rezaian’s treatment.

“At every turn, Iran’s handling of Jason’s case has served to reinforce an impression of state-
sponsored injustice, as demonstrated by seven months of harsh incarceration without counsel or consular access,” Baron said in a statement. “It is imperative that a defense team now being led by Leila Ahsan be augmented and be granted full, immediate access to Jason and his case file in order to begin the task of winning his freedom against charges that have not yet been publicly disclosed. That is a daunting task, given that he has been denied access to a lawyer all this time and that the entire process to date has been so opaque and manifestly unfair.”

Although the harsh treatment of journalists eased after the election of President Hassan Rouhani, it has picked up again in recent months, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Rezaian’s detention appears to be the longest of any Western journalist in Iran, which ranked second only to China in the CPJ census of imprisoned journalists in 2014.

Political detainees are often denied adequate medical care. Rezaian has lost 20 percent of his body weight in prison, according to his brother Ali Rezaian, and visits with his wife have been “severely curtailed” since early December. Now, they must be separated by glass and can speak only in Farsi on a monitored phone.

“Psychologically his depression is worsening,” Ali Rezaian, Jason’s brother, said by e-mail. “He’s well aware of the many illegal tactics that the Iranian government has used against him.”

Lydia DePillis is a reporter focusing on labor, business, and housing. She previously worked at The New Republic and the Washington City Paper. She's from Seattle.

world

Success! Check your inbox for details. You might also like:

Please enter a valid email address

See all newsletters

Comments
Show Comments

Sign up for email updates from the "Confronting the Caliphate" series.

You have signed up for the "Confronting the Caliphate" series.

Thank you for signing up
You'll receive e-mail when new stories are published in this series.
Most Read

world

Success! Check your inbox for details.

See all newsletters

Your Three. Videos curated for you.
Play Videos
From clubfoot to climbing: Double amputee lives life of adventure
6:01
Sleep advice you won't find in baby books
1:44
Learn to make this twice-baked cookie
1:12
Play Videos
The rise and fall of baseball cards
4:11
The signature dish of Charleston, S.C.
2:40
5 tips before donating money to charity
1:00
Play Videos
Real people try Michelle Obama's workout
1:32
This is how Cookie Monster makes your kid smarter
0:00
How to survive a shark attack
0:57
Play Videos
Portland's most important meal of the day
4:00
After prison, a fresh start with horses
3:23
Europe's migrant crisis, explained
2:07

To keep reading, please enter your email address.

You’ll also receive from The Washington Post:
  • A free 6-week digital subscription
  • Our daily newsletter in your inbox

Please enter a valid email address

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Please indicate agreement.

Thank you.

Check your inbox. We’ve sent an email explaining how to set up an account and activate your free digital subscription.