Hard-line judge in Iran is assigned case of jailed Post reporter Jason Rezaian
Source: WaPo
The family of Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter who has been detained in Iran for more than half a year, issued a statement Sunday that was sharply critical of the Iranian government, after what they called the “very disturbing” development that Rezaian and his wife will be tried by a judge known for imposing harsh sentences.
Rezaian’s brother, Ali, and their mother, Mary Rezaian, questioned the rationale for assigning the case to Judge Abolghassem Salavati, the head of a Revolutionary Court branch where sensitive cases are tried. Salavati has imposed long prison sentences, lashings and in some cases death for defendants in a number of high-profile cases involving national security and political offenses. He has been sanctioned by the European Union since 2011.
“We find it very disturbing that the judiciary would select a judge to oversee the case who has been sanctioned by (and barred from entering) the European Union due to what it calls ‘gross human rights violations,’ ” the family said.
The 38-year-old reporter was arrested July 22 along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who also is a reporter. Salehi was released on bail, but Rezaian has been detained ever since and has been unable to see a lawyer. The exact nature of the charges against him has never been made clear, other than a statement saying he was accused of activities beyond the scope of journalism.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/hard-liner-judge-assigned-case-of-post-reporter-jason-rezaian-jailed-in-iran/2015/02/01/5f21de04-a8c2-11e4-a06b-9df2002b86a0_story.html
I wish DU gave this case just a fraction of the attention it had given to whether or not James Risen would be compelled to testify...
= new reply since forum marked as read
