United Nations human rights officials Friday called for Iran to immediately release Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian.
The reporter was jailed more than a year ago and charged with espionage. The paper, Obama administration and many journalism and human rights groups have ridiculed those allegations.
A secrecy-filled trial that played out sporadically ended last week, and a verdict is expected shortly.
The arrest, detention and secret trial of Mr. Rezaian violate his rights and intimidate all those working in the media in Iran,” said David Kaye, the U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression. “His continued detention violates basic rules that not only aim to protect journalists, bloggers, human rights activists and others but to guarantee everyone’s right to information.
Two other U.N. human rights experts urged a release, too, in a joint news release.
The Post last month urged action from the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a component of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
But it’s been clear that the Iranian regime will do what it wants to do when it wants to do it.
