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Washington Post Reporter Sentenced to Prison in Iran

Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, the spokesman for Iran’s judiciary, said that the punishment is not official since it’s expected Rezaian will appeal, the Washington Post reported.

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The official added that the verdict includes prison term, saying he could not reveal the details of the ruling.

Rezaian’s lawyer, Leila Ahsan, told The Associated Press she had not even been informed of the verdict, let alone the details of his sentence. In July 2014, Iranian authorities raided the house he shared with his wife, and brought Rezaian into custody at Evin Prison, a detention center that houses political prisoners.

The Washington Post said last month that the verdict, issued soon after Iran raised hopes of a thaw in its relations with the West by striking a nuclear deal with world powers including Washington, was “vague and puzzling”.

The Post has vigorously denied the accusations against its correspondent.

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian (right) has been sentenced to jail after being convicted of spying.

It is also possible he is being held as a possible exchange for Iranian citizens held in U.S. jails. While there was speculation that a prison swap between Iran and the United States was being discussed as part of the negotiations, Ejehl said in September that is not on Iran’s agenda.

Rezaian, the paper’s Tehran bureau chief who has US and Iranian citizenship, was found guilty of espionage last month after four closed-door court hearings. “His trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately”.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on October 17 that Iran was trying to resolve the case against the Iranian-American reporter “from a humanitarian point of view”.

The photographers were later released, with Salehi freed on bail two months later.

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The US-Iranian journalist stands accused of spying for the U.S. and producing anti-Iranian propaganda. However, now it seems the discussion was not of serious nature.

Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie the spokesman for Iran's Judiciary addresses the reporters in Tehran