A reporter who was released by Iran at the end of negotiations over the nuclear deal has sued the Iranian government for using him as a bargaining chip with the Obama administration.
Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was arrested with his wife in July 2014 on charges of running a spy ring on behalf of the United States government. He was found guilty after a months-long trial that took place behind closed doors.
But Rezaian’s lawsuit said that in private, Iranian officials were candid about their true motives in detaining him.
“For nearly 18 months, Iran held and terrorized Jason for the purpose of gaining negotiating leverage and ultimately exchanging him with the United States for something of value to Iran,” the complaint said, according to the Washington Post.
Most lawsuits against foreign governments cannot be filed, understanding sovereign immunity law, but Rezaian’s complaint invoked the exception for terrorism. Iran, one of the world’s leading state sponsors of terrorism, owes $53 billion in outstanding damages. The Post’s story about the lawsuit said it is seeking an unspecified amount of damages for Rezaian’s imprisonment.
“This legal filing is a stark telling of Iran’s brutal and heartless treatment of an innocent journalist and his wife, and the impact on those who love him,” Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron said. “While this legal action is being taken solely by Jason and his family, the Post continues to support the Rezaians through their long and painful recovery.”
