Freed Washington Post Reporter Heading To US

He since has been at the US military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, quietly traveled to Germany this week to personally escort Post reporter Jason Rezaian home to the United States.

Post Executive Editor Marty Baron and Foreign Editor Douglas Jehl also travelled to Germany to meet Rezaian after news broke last week that he would be freed in a prisoner swap brokered as part of the U.S.-Iran deal.

“At some point, I will be ready to discuss my ordeal but for now, I just want to express my profound appreciation for the tremendous support I have received”, Rezaian said in a statement. Hekmati, who was visiting relatives in Iran in 2011 when he was detained and charged with espionage, said years of abuse in Iran left him hopeless, making his homecoming even more special.

Rezaian’s brother Ali along with executives at the Post had led the effort to seek their release, urging the Obama administration to press the issue with Iran.

Rezaian has mostly stayed out of the public view since his release, but did appear briefly on Wednesday for a photo opportunity. “But I won’t be saying anything further for a while”.

“I hope everyone will respect my need for privacy as I take some time for myself and for my family. For now, I want to catch up with what’s been going on in the world, watch a Warriors game or two, and see the Star Wars movie”.

One of the captives already reached his home in Flint, Mich. Amir Hekmati, a former Marine who spent 4 1/2 years held captive in Iran, landed safely Thursday to a crowd of people cheering his return.

“I’ve spent a lot of my life writing about the United States and Iran, and I never imagined – and never wanted – to become a part of the story, particularly at such an extraordinary moment”, Rezaian said in a statement released through the Post. Throughout the sentence, his family and coworkers at the Post campaigned the US and Iranian government endlessly for his freedom.