Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Reports: Washington Post Journalist Sentenced To Jail Time In Iran

Jason Rezaian, Tehran correspondent for The Washington Post, is seen April 11, 2013.
Vahid Salemi AP
Jason Rezaian, Tehran correspondent for The Washington Post, is seen April 11, 2013.

An Iranian court has sentenced a Washington Post reporter to prison, two semi-official news agencies report.

As we've reported, Jason Rezaian has been held in Iran for more than a year. The country has accused him of espionage, a charge his paper has always denied.

In a statement, Jason Rezaian's brother, Ali, said the family has heard the reports, but they cannot confirm their authenticity.

Advertisement

However, the IRNA and MEHR news agencies report that Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, a judiciary spokesman, broke the news during a press conference.

The agencies report that all Ejel would say is that a judge handed down a sentence and an appeal is pending.

MEHR added that Ejel said the news:

" ... had not been communicated to his family and lawyer yet. Ejei only made a conjecture that the verdict would possibly be "years in prison," but said that it would be appealed against within 20 days."

In a statement, the Washington Post's foreign editor Douglas Jehl called Rezaian's trial and sentence a "sham."

"Even after keeping Jason in prison 487 days so far, Iran has produced no evidence of wrongdoing," Jehl said. "His trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately."

Advertisement

Rezaian's brother said that as the family gathers for Thanksgiving, they remain hopeful for a reunion.

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.