Washington Post reporter convicted in Iran

Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi confirmed the verdict in comments aired on state TV late Sunday night.

“This verdict can be appealed”, he said, suggesting Rezaian had been found guilty.

He was arrested with his wife Yeganeh Salehi, a journalist for UAE’s newspaper, The National, and two photojournalists – but was the only one to remain held. All were later released except Rezaian. Rezaian, who was imprisoned on July 22, 2014, has now been held for longer than the duration of the Iranian hostage crisis, which lasted 444 days.

Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron released a statement after learning of Rezaian’s guilty verdict.

Rezaian was reportedly facing up to 20 years, but the sentence was not specified on Monday.

Baron, noting no sentence had been handed down, said the paper was “working with Jason’s family and Iranian counsel to pursue an immediate appeal”, adding that Rezaian’s lawyer Leila Ahsan would petition for his release on bail while the case is still pending.

“Iran has behaved unconscionably throughout this case…”

His supporters and human rights advocates have repeatedly complained of the shadowy, secretive nature of the Iranian judicial process. “He’s innocent, he’s an accredited journalist, he’s been caught up in larger forces inside Iran”, Washington Post Foreign Editor Douglas Jehl said.

The case has been condemned by advocates of media freedom and been an irritant in relations between the United States and Iran, longtime adversaries without diplomatic relations since 1980.

The Isna news agency also reported Sunday that Rezaian was convicted, quoting Ejehi.

The announcement lead to fears that Rezaian had been convicted on the espionage charges that both the US Government and the Washington Post said were entirely baseless.

“It’s unbelievable that they would treat anybody like this, let alone somebody from The Washington Post, a journalist with global visibility”, Ali said. He has already been detained in Iran for more than a year, charged with espionage and distributing propaganda against the Islamic Republic.

Iranian state TV called Rezaian an “American spy” and accused him of giving information to the US about individuals and companies who were helping Iran get around worldwide economic sanctions, but Rezaian’s family and The Washington Post insist the charges are bogus, reports The New York Times.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said the United States was monitoring the case closely.