Imprisoned Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian’s farcical “espionage” trial has likely reached its final stages, although it’s unclear when his last hearing will take place.
That’s the word from The Associated Press, which spoke with Rezaian’s lawyer for a report this morning. According to the story, Iran’s Revolutionary Court has told the Post reporter’s attorney that the trial will likely conclude with his next hearing.
Rezaian, who was arrested with his wife last summer on unspecified charges, has been put through an espionage trial that Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron has called “Kafkaesque” and fundamentally unfair.
In the latter stages of Rezaian’s trial, world powers finally struck a long-awaited deal with Iran’s leaders to curb that country’s nuclear program. Many believed Rezaian’s capture was intended to be a bargaining chip in that process, but the accord was reached without any conditions of release from Tehran.
Last week, President Obama bristled in response to a question from CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett asking about the fate of Rezaian and his fellow Americans captured in Iran. On Sunday, Baron appeared on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” and told host Brian Stelter that the newspaper was calling on the White House to “work harder” for Rezaian’s release.
