Iran’s Foreign Minister says jailed Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian faces serious charges in Tehran, but he is seeking to resolve the case from a “humanitarian perspective”.
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“We have to realize that the issues and threats in the Middle East are related to all other countries, and it should not be the case for only one country to make efforts to settle the conflicts”, said Zarif, adding if all countries believed that ISIL could not be considered as their ‘temporary capital, ‘ all regional issues would have been settled.
The Washington Post reporter, who has been jailed in Iran for more than a year, has stood trial on espionage charges.
The U.S. has repeatedly demanded Rezaian’s release.
Rezaian’s brother, Ali Rezaian, accused Iranian authorities of “an unconscionable pattern… of silence, obfuscation, delay and a total lack of adherence to worldwide law, as well as Iranian law”.
Iran’s state media, citing the indictment, have said Rezaian collected information on Iranian and foreign individuals and companies circumventing sanctions and passed them on to the US government.
“The immediate release of Jason Rezaian and the three other American hostages should have been a precondition of any deal reached with Iran”.
Ahsan said she is yet to receive the verdict. “I will definitely appeal if the verdict has found my client guilty”, she said.
Rights groups and journalists’ associations have also called for Rezaian to be freed.
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Rezaian last appeared in court on August 10, after the conclusion of the nuclear deal. Since then, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has acknowledged the two countries have spoken about a possible prisoner swap. Two other Americans are known to be imprisoned in Iran: Saeed Abedini, an Iran-born Christian cleric, and Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine.
