Reza Valizadeh in Evin Quarantine and Denied Family Visits

Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist and former Radio Farda reporter, remains in the quarantine section of Evin Prison, and his family is still denied in-person visits with him. According to reports received by the Persian section of Voice of America, Mr. Valizadeh was supposed to stay in the quarantine section of Evin for a very short time and then be transferred to the general section, but the judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic have not taken any action under the pretext of 'air pollution' and 'closure of the administrative section of Evin Prison.' According to these reports, a family acquaintance of Reza Valizadeh told Voice of America that they, as well as his defense attorney, have only recently been able to contact this dual-national journalist by phone after three months, and until his transfer to the general section, in-person visits are not possible. He added that this is while in-person meetings and consultations between the lawyer and the client are very necessary and vital, but such opportunities have not yet been provided. The family of this dual-national prisoner has not yet been allowed to meet with him. According to a ruling issued by Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Reza Valizadeh has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. His lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, stated that Mr. Valizadeh has also been sentenced to 'prohibition of residence in Tehran and neighboring provinces, prohibition of leaving the country, and membership in parties for two years.' Mr. Aghasi wrote on the social media platform 'X' that his client's crime was working at Radio Farda. A family acquaintance of Mr. Valizadeh told Voice of America that he considers his sentence 'extremely harsh and unjust' and believes that 'the issuance of such extreme sentences is due to the regime's anger at the activities of foreign media and the inability of security agencies to gain cooperation from journalists who are arrested or caught in security traps.' Reza Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda about two years ago, in 2022. He later announced on his 'X' account that he returned to Iran on March 7, 2024, writing: 'I entered Tehran on March 7, 2024. Before that, I had half-finished negotiations with the IRGC Intelligence Organization. Ultimately, I returned to my country after 14 years at my own responsibility and without even a verbal guarantee.' According to information received by Voice of America, Mr. Valizadeh was under the supervision of security agencies and subjected to continuous interrogations from the moment he entered Iran until his arrest. According to close associates of Reza Valizadeh, he was arrested on October 23, 2024, due to his refusal to cooperate with the IRGC Intelligence Protection and the Ministry of Intelligence and his refusal to express remorse for his journalistic activities. Reports indicate that this journalist, in a phone conversation with his family, spoke 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. The U.S. Department of State condemned the arrest and 10-year prison sentence for Reza Valizadeh on Monday, December 17, and called for his immediate release. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, in response to Michael Lipin, a Voice of America reporter, stated: 'We are aware that the Iranian government has repeatedly suppressed press freedom through threats, intimidation, arrests, forced confessions, and the use of violence against journalists in Iran. For this reason, we strongly condemn the prison sentence of Reza Valizadeh and call for his immediate release and that of all political prisoners in Iran.' This spokesperson also reiterated a warning to Iranian citizens residing in the United States, emphasizing: 'Due to the risk of kidnapping and arbitrary arrest and detention, avoid traveling to Iran.'