Washington Post reporter's trial in Iran begins
Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian’s closed-door trial espionage that began in Iran on Tuesday (26 May) ended after a few hours with the date for the next stage still to be determined by the judge.
The 39-year-old has been accused of “espionage for the US government and activity against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to IRNA, the country’s official news agency.
According to the Washington Post, he became the paper’s Tehran correspondent when he was 37. Last July, he was detained.
Martin Baron, executive editor of the Washing Post, said in a statement on 25 May: “The shameful acts of injustice continue without end in the treatment of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian. Now we learn his trial will be closed to the world. And so it will be closed to the scrutiny it fully deserves.”
In the statement, he added that Rezaian was arrested without any charges, imprisoned in Iran’s worst prison, and was isolated for many months.