A court in Tehran has levied unspecified charges on detained Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, just days after his detention was extended for two months.
Rezaian, who holds dual Iranian and U.S. citizenship, had been held without charge since July 22 and has not been able to meet with his lawyer.
“The Iranian government has never explained why Jason was detained or why he has been held for more than four months without access to a lawyer,” Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said in a statement. “Jason is an American citizen who was acting as a fully accredited journalist. If he has indeed been charged, we know that any fair legal proceeding would quickly determine that any allegations against him are baseless.”
Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States was “deeply disappointed and concerned” by news of the charges filed against Rezaian.
“Jason poses no threat to the Iranian government or to Iran’s national security. We call on the Iranian government to drop any and all charges against Jason and release him immediately so that he can be reunited with his family,” Kerry said in a statement.
“Likewise, we again call for the release of U.S. citizens Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini, and ask for the Iranian government’s cooperation in locating Robert Levinson, so that all may be returned to their families.”
