Rejection of Appeal by Reza Valizadeh, Imprisoned Dual National Journalist in Iran

The lawyer of Reza Valizadeh, a dual national journalist imprisoned in Iran, announced the rejection of his appeal and emphasized that he has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, while according to the laws of the Islamic Republic, the maximum punishment for the charge against him should be one year in prison. Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, a lawyer, wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday, February 10, about the latest status of Reza Valizadeh's case: "Today I visited Abdul Reza (Reza) Valizadeh to see the rejection of the appeal." Aghasi added, "I had previously stated that the court's procedure is to confirm the initial ruling, but perhaps a retrial could open the blindfolded eyes of justice." This lawyer emphasized that "10 years in prison cannot be the punishment for working in the media - even if it is opposing - because the charge of propaganda against the regime has a maximum punishment of one year in prison." The term "opposing" refers to "enemy," a title that the Islamic Republic and its agents assign to free media. Over the past decades, the Islamic Republic has severely restricted the activities of free media in Iran, and dozens of journalists have faced multiple fabricated cases, judicial sentences, and long-term imprisonments. Additionally, Iranian intelligence and judicial officials have repeatedly arrested dual nationals and foreign citizens in Iran, or as many observers emphasize, taken them hostage. Reza Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda about two years ago, in 2021. Shortly after, he announced his return to Iran on his social media page, stating: "I entered Tehran on March 7, 2024. Before that, I had incomplete negotiations with the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC. Ultimately, I returned to my country after 14 years at my own responsibility and without even a verbal guarantee." According to information received by VOA, Mr. Valizadeh was under the supervision of security agencies and continuous interrogation from the moment he entered Iran until his arrest. According to close associates of Mr. Valizadeh, he was arrested on October 23, 2024, due to his refusal to cooperate with the IRGC's intelligence protection and the Ministry of Intelligence and his refusal to express remorse for his journalistic activities. Reports indicate that this journalist spoke in a phone conversation with his family about the "very bad interrogation conditions during his detention in the IRGC," which he described as "torture." He was held for 11 days in the custody of the IRGC before being transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. In recent weeks, Reza Valizadeh, the Iranian-American dual national journalist, criticized the "lack of effective action" by the U.S. State Department regarding his situation, stating in a phone message from Evin Prison that the Biden administration's State Department has not taken any effective action to follow up on his case after issuing a statement about the illegality of his detention and conviction by the Islamic Republic. The United States has repeatedly warned its citizens to avoid traveling to "dangerous countries," including Iran.