Two International Organizations Condemn the Arrest of Reza Valizadeh

Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the arrest of Reza Valizadeh, a journalist and former employee of Radio Farda, in separate statements. Both organizations advocating for journalists' rights have called for the unconditional release of Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American citizen. On Sunday, the U.S. State Department also condemned Valizadeh's arrest, deeming it unjust and contrary to international law. Radio Farda learned on October 16 that Reza Valizadeh, who had returned to Iran after years abroad, was arrested in Tehran. Valizadeh, who previously worked for Radio Farda, left the outlet in November 2022 and resided outside the country for some time. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty also confirmed on Sunday that it is aware of the arrest of its former colleague but has not yet received official confirmation regarding the charges against him. U.S. State Department officials told the Associated Press that they are gathering information about Reza Valizadeh's case through the Swiss embassy, which represents U.S. interests in Iran. Iranian security and judicial officials have not yet disclosed the charges against him or the reasons for his arrest, and on Tuesday, the judiciary spokesperson claimed ignorance about the journalist's detention.