Iran's Foreign Ministry Acknowledges Awareness of Reza Valizadeh's Arrest

Ismail Baqaei, spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on Tuesday that the ministry is aware of reports regarding the arrest of Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist in Iran. This comes after the spokesperson for the judiciary expressed 'ignorance' about Valizadeh's arrest on November 6. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that Valizadeh, who previously worked for Radio Farda, is believed to have been detained by the Iranian government for several months. In response to a question about the arrest of this Iranian-American citizen, Baqaei said, 'We are aware of reports regarding the arrest of an Iranian citizen; he is an Iranian citizen, and I have no information about his second nationality, and we are in contact with relevant authorities to follow up on the matter.' Asghar Jahangir, the judiciary spokesperson, had previously stated during a press conference on November 6 that he was unaware of the situation and needed to inquire further. It has been reported that the Biden administration is reviewing the recent arrest of an Iranian-American by the Islamic Republic. Valizadeh is the only American citizen whose arrest has been publicly reported since the prisoner exchange between the Islamic Republic and the United States in September 2023. The U.S. State Department, in response to inquiries from Michael Lapin, a Voice of America reporter, stated that it is 'aware of reports regarding the arrest of an Iranian-American citizen in Iran.' Valizadeh, a former journalist for Radio Farda who was detained by the Islamic Republic, had left the network in 2022. He posted on the platform 'X' that he entered Tehran on March 7, 2024. Prior to that, he had had unfinished negotiations with the IRGC's intelligence organization. Ultimately, he returned to his country at his own risk and without any guarantees, even verbal, after 14 years. The Islamic Republic views Radio Farda, Voice of America, and many other Persian-language media outlets abroad as 'hostile' entities because they draw attention to human rights violations by the government and public opposition and protests against them. The U.S. State Department spokesperson had told Voice of America that they are working with their Swiss partners, who act as the U.S. interests protector in Iran, to gather more information about this case. The spokesperson emphasized that the Islamic Republic unjustly detains American citizens and citizens of other countries for political purposes, calling this action 'oppressive and contrary to international law.' An informed source within Iran had previously told the Persian section of Voice of America that Mr. Valizadeh is facing charges of 'collaborating with Persian-language media abroad.' The Human Rights Activists in Iran and the Committee to Protect Journalists based in the U.S. reported in late October, citing relatives of this journalist and one of his colleagues, that Valizadeh has been in Evin prison without access to a lawyer since his arrest. The representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the United Nations confirmed that two weeks ago, Voice of America had requested a comment regarding Valizadeh's case but had not responded. Skyler Thompson, deputy of the Human Rights Activists group based in Washington, told Voice of America that the U.S. State Department 'should use all available diplomatic channels to investigate Valizadeh's arrest and ensure his immediate and unhindered access to legal counsel.' Valizadeh also posted on 'X' about the 'summoning of his older brother' to the 'Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran' as well as the 'summoning of his father and even distant and close relatives' to the intelligence office in Kurdistan, writing, 'They have gone to our neighbor and inquired about my mother's condition to assess before a possible return home. They have pressured my family to convince me to return.' Meanwhile, Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic, has attempted to convince Iranians living abroad that they should not fear returning. Pezeshkian stated in an interview with the state news agency ISNA, 'We must assure them that if they return to Iran, we will not file a case against them, we will not harass them, and we will not prevent their departure.' Jason Brodsky, head of policy at the 'United Against a Nuclear Iran' organization, told Voice of America that Valizadeh's arrest should serve as a warning for dual citizens that they cannot trust the guarantees of the Islamic Republic. Brodsky stated, 'Over the years, there have been cases where Iranians abroad have obtained entry permits from a government agency in Iran, and then a rival agency has arrested and taken that individual hostage.' Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian political science researcher who was detained by the Islamic Republic from 2018 to 2020 on charges deemed baseless by Western countries, told Voice of America, 'It seems that Valizadeh has been unjustly detained. His journalism career has certainly made him a target for the IRGC.' In a written response to Voice of America, she noted, 'His referral to the Salavati Revolutionary Court is also noteworthy, as this judge handles political cases, including the illegal detention of foreign nationals and dual citizens.' Assigning the title 'illegal detention' to an American citizen allows the U.S. special envoy for hostages to collaborate with a coalition of government and private organizations for the release of that prisoner. Ms. Moore-Gilbert stated that each of Reza Valizadeh's family members living abroad should immediately request the U.S. Secretary of State to designate the title 'illegal detention,' and Valizadeh's recent job as a journalist should make this process relatively straightforward compared to other cases. The U.S. State Department had previously told Voice of America that it is 'continuously' monitoring the conditions related to the detention of American citizens abroad to confirm signs that may place them in the category of illegal detentions. In December 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan measure that prohibits the Islamic Republic from accessing $6 billion that had previously been released by the United States in a prisoner exchange for dual citizens. This action was taken in response to 'the Islamic Republic's role in the deadly October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.' Jason Brodsky stated that Valizadeh's arrest raises the question of whether the Islamic Republic is holding him as leverage for a deal involving asset transfers in Qatar or a larger exchange.