Reza Valizadeh, former Radio Farda journalist, sentenced to 10 years in prison

The Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist and former Radio Farda reporter, to 10 years in prison. According to a ruling issued by the Revolutionary Court, which Radio Farda has seen, this journalist has also been sentenced to a two-year ban on residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, a ban on leaving the country, and a ban on membership in political and social parties and groups. Judge Iman Afshari and Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court issued this ruling against the journalist on charges of 'collaboration with the hostile government of the United States.' Valizadeh's lawyer is set to appeal this ruling on behalf of his family and request a retrial. Valizadeh, who resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after 10 years of service, returned to Iran on March 7, 2023, to visit his family after a period of living abroad, and was arrested on October 23, 2023. During two court sessions on November 17 and 21, he managed to defend himself for half an hour and asked the judge to treat him with 'Islamic mercy' based on previous promises made to him. Radio Farda has learned that in these two court sessions, in the absence of a prosecutor's representative, the judge also acted as the prosecutor and was initially harsh with the lawyer, calling the selection of a 'tie-wearing' lawyer the 'biggest mistake' of this journalist. Steven Kapes, President and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reacted to Valizadeh's sentencing by calling it unjust and demanding the immediate release of this former Radio Farda journalist. He stated, 'Reza is an American citizen who has been unjustly accused and is now sentenced to imprisonment. The Iranian government has repeatedly tried to extend its sinister influence around the world and trample on human rights at every opportunity.' Kapes noted that the regime clearly feels threatened by forces of freedom, including independent journalism. He emphasized that the mission of Radio Farda is to provide uncensored news, which is now more important than ever for the people of Iran. The head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty concluded that 'journalism is not a crime, and Reza should be released immediately and returned to his family.' Valizadeh's relatives told Radio Farda that he fell into a 'security trap' and although he had been promised by some security forces during contacts that he would have no problems in Iran, he was arrested after a while and faced this heavy sentence. Two international organizations supporting journalists condemned Valizadeh's arrest. According to Valizadeh's relatives, he was under surveillance by security agencies from the moment he entered until his arrest, and after continuous interrogations, he was ultimately arrested due to his lack of cooperation with the IRGC's intelligence protection and the Ministry of Intelligence, and his failure to express remorse for his journalistic activities. They stated that this ruling is very discouraging for Iranians living abroad who intend to return to Iran. Radio Farda has learned that although his ruling had been issued in the Revolutionary Court for some time, it was delayed in being communicated to his lawyer Mohammad Aghasi and to the journalist himself. Despite the issuance of this ruling, Valizadeh is still being held in Security Ward 209 of Evin Prison and is deprived of access to normal facilities and visitation rights. Valizadeh himself wrote in a post on X that he had had unfinished negotiations with the IRGC's intelligence organization but ultimately returned to the country after 14 years at his own risk and without even a verbal guarantee. It is unclear under what circumstances he wrote this post. After the news of Reza Valizadeh's arrest was published, Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned his arrest in separate statements. The U.S. State Department condemned Valizadeh's arrest as an American citizen, deeming it unjust and contrary to international law.