'Outrageous Justice': Iran Convicts US Reporter

Jason Rezaian faces up to 20 years in prison
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 12, 2015 3:19 AM CDT
Updated Oct 12, 2015 6:27 AM CDT
Iran: US Reporter Is Guilty
In this April 11, 2013, photo, Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American correspondent for the "Washington Post," smiles as he attends a campaign event in Tehran.   (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter who has been jailed in Iran for more than a year on espionage charges, has been convicted. His fate remains unclear, but he could face 20 years in prison. A spokesman for Iran's judiciary said Rezaian can appeal the conviction within 20 days. Rezaian, the Post's Tehran bureau chief, was convicted after a closed-door trial that was widely criticized by the US government and press freedom organizations. The Washington Post's executive editor called it "outrageous justice," reports NBC News.

"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," said Martin Baron in a statement. Iranian President Hasan Rouhani last month left open the idea of a prisoner exchange, notes the New York Times. "I don’t particularly like the word exchange, but from a humanitarian perspective, if we can take a step, we must do it," he said. "The American side must take its own steps." (More Jason Rezaian stories.)

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