Despite the grim news, the conviction may actually increase the odds for a diplomatic solution. Late last month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani strongly indicated the desire for a prisoner swap. Currently, 19 Iranians are being held within the U.S. for violating its sanctions policy against Iran. In an interview with CNN’s Christine Amanpour, Rouhani said “If the Americans take the appropriate steps and set them [Iranians held in the U.S.] free, certainly the right environment will be open and the right circumstances will be created for us to do everything within our power and our purview to bring about the swiftest freedom for the Americans held in Iran as well.” Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Sunday night “I have yet to hear directly from the Iranians on anything direct,” adding that, “We’ve had some conversations but … we’ll wait and see where we are.”
Shortly after spending his 445th day in captivity, the longest for an American in the country, Iran’s state television has announced that Washington Post Tehran Bureau Chief Jason Rezaian has been convicted of espionage by Iran’s Revolutionary Court. The 39 year-old Iranian-American had been working at the bureau since 2012, and was featured on CNN’s “Parts Unknown” during Anthony Bourdain’s tour of the country last year shortly before his arrest and detention. The announcement that Rezaian’s trial concluded in August and that he was convicted was made early Sunday, but the Court’s spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei failed to describe the details of the conviction. A report posted on the television station’s website Sunday night, however, added that “He began to identify individuals and companies that violated sanctions and were cooperating with Iran. The information that Rezaian gave to the Americans had led many Iranian and international businessmen and companies to be included in America’s sanctions list.”
The Washington Post has led the call to bring Rezaian home, with executive editor Martin Baron calling the verdict an “outrageous injustice” and “contemptible.” In a statement, Baron wrote, “Iran has behaved unconscionably throughout this case, but never more so than with this indefensible decision by a Revolutionary Court to convict an innocent journalist of serious crimes after a proceeding that unfolded in secret, with no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing.” Among other violations, Rezaian is accused of sharing nuclear information with U.S. authorities, although Iran has provided zero evidence of such actions to the public or the media. In addition to Rezaian, three other Americans, including a former marine sentenced to death, are also being held under similar auspices, with the Revolutionary Court convicting the other two in August and claiming no knowledge of the whereabouts of a fourth.
Despite the grim news, the conviction may actually increase the odds for a diplomatic solution. Late last month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani strongly indicated the desire for a prisoner swap. Currently, 19 Iranians are being held within the U.S. for violating its sanctions policy against Iran. In an interview with CNN’s Christine Amanpour, Rouhani said “If the Americans take the appropriate steps and set them [Iranians held in the U.S.] free, certainly the right environment will be open and the right circumstances will be created for us to do everything within our power and our purview to bring about the swiftest freedom for the Americans held in Iran as well.” Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Sunday night “I have yet to hear directly from the Iranians on anything direct,” adding that, “We’ve had some conversations but … we’ll wait and see where we are.” Ali Rezaian, Jason’s brother, met with the United Nation’s Human Rights Committee in Geneva last month, urging members to pressure Iran into releasing Rezaian. While the U.N.’s leverage is essentially limited to public shaming, given that Iran is already under some of the tightest international economic sanctions available, the U.S. holds considerable leverage given its leadership role in the impending Iran-nuclear deal.
Although a prisoner swap may be impalpable to the administration due to fallout over the exchange of suspected Afghanistan deserter Bowe Bergdahl last year, it could be one avenue that Obama could pursue to secure Rezaian and the other captives’ freedom while still keeping his nuclear deal intact. On the other hand, many on both sides of the political spectrum, me included, have urged President Obama to make the release of the Americans a prerequisite to any nuclear deal with the country. Despite the pleas, he has declined to include any provisions that do so. Even controversial former contractor Eric Snowden weighed in on Monday from Russia, tweeting “It is unconscionable for courts to convict journalists behind closed doors. Iranian leaders bear an obligation to correct this injustice.” Obama has said that he is working on securing Rezaian and the other Americans’ release and the State Department issued a statement Sunday night calling “for all charges against Jason to be dropped and for him to be immediately released.” The hastag #FreeJason is also making viral rounds on Monday, leading to worldwide calls for his release within the social networking grid.
Sources:
CNN Money – Brian Stelter
New York Times – Thomas Erdbrink
Slate – Joshua Keating
Washington Post – Carol Morello and William Branigin
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