Harry Reid to Write to Iran’s President over Conviction of Post Reporter


Harry Reid to Write to Iran’s President over Conviction of Post Reporter

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid of Nevada said he plans to write a letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to seek an appeal of the conviction on espionage charges of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian.

“I would hope with all the work that’s been done between the two countries the last . . . couple of years that the appeal will amount to something,” said Reid, referring to the July 14 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers which he has supported.

“I’m going to weigh in on that,” he added, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

Earlier, Iranian Judiciary’s Deputy Chief and Spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei announced that a court in Tehran has sentenced Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who has been charged with espionage in the Islamic Republic.

“The verdict on the case has been issued,” Mohseni Ejei told reporters at a press conference in Tehran on Sunday.

He emphasized that the defendants of the case have a 20-day deadline to file an objection to the verdict and appeal to a higher court, adding that if they do not do so, the ruling, of which he gave no details, will be final.

Rezaian, a 39-year-old correspondent with dual Iran-US citizenship, along with his wife Yeganeh Salehi, was arrested in Tehran on July 22, 2014 on espionage charges.

Two other American citizens who work as freelance photojournalists were also detained along with them at the time. Yeganeh Salehi was released on bail in October 2014.

An indictment later issued by Tehran’s prosecutor general said Rezaian is charged with “espionage by collecting the country’s decisions on the issues of internal and foreign policy, and cooperation with the hostile governments.”

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