Jason Rezaian's Detention Order Extended

The detention order for Jason Rezaian, the Iranian-American journalist for The Washington Post, has been extended for another 60 days. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing Rezaian's family, that this order was communicated to Mr. Rezaian in prison on November 18, and it was announced that investigations into him are ongoing. Jason Rezaian and his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who is also a journalist, were arrested on July 22 for unspecified reasons. Ms. Salehi was released after about two months. Mr. Rezaian has been working as a journalist for The Washington Post in Tehran since 2012. According to Agence France-Presse, Mr. Rezaian's lawyer has not yet been able to meet with him. Human Rights Watch and The Washington Post have called for the immediate release of Jason Rezaian. While the Secretary of the Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary had indicated earlier in November the possibility of Jason Rezaian's release 'within a month,' Hadi Sadeghi, the cultural deputy of the Judiciary, stated on Tuesday, November 10, that the case of this Iranian-American journalist is not complete and will require 'about a month' to finalize. Some media outlets affiliated with conservatives have accused Mr. Rezaian of espionage for the United States. Meanwhile, a group in Iran called the 'Lawyers' Basij Organization' claimed in August that 'numerous credible documents of espionage by detained Washington Post journalists exist' and called for their execution. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recently reported that in addition to Jason Rezaian, 35 other journalists are imprisoned in Iran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated on Friday, September 26, that he does not believe people are arrested for journalistic activities in Iran. This statement by Hassan Rouhani faced protests from a group of Iranian journalists who described it as a reminder of 'distortion and denial of reality.' In this context, Larijani accused Jason Rezaian of 'activities detrimental to security.' The U.S. has again called for Jason Rezaian's release, while the cultural deputy of the Judiciary stated that Rezaian's freedom is not imminent.