Zarif: No One in Iran is Imprisoned for Their Beliefs

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated that "we do not imprison anyone in Iran for their beliefs." He also mentioned that "individuals who commit crimes or violate the laws of the country cannot hide behind being journalists or political activists." In an interview with Charlie Rose, host of PBS in the United States, aired on Wednesday, May 9, he emphasized that "people must obey the laws." Zarif's remarks come amidst numerous reports from the United Nations and non-governmental organizations advocating for human rights and media freedom, indicating that the Islamic Republic of Iran is consistently among the most repressive governments in the world against the press, journalists, political and civil activists, intellectuals, dissenters, religious minorities, and civil and social institutions. In separate remarks, Iran's Foreign Minister described the charges against Jason Rezaian, a imprisoned journalist for the Washington Post in Iran, as "very serious." According to Reuters, he said on Wednesday during a Q&A session at New York University: "Unfortunately, the charges against Jason Rezaian are very serious, and it is regrettable that a low-level intelligence officer linked to the U.S. has attempted to exploit his situation." While expressing hope that the journalist would be acquitted of his charges, he emphasized that "Jason Rezaian is Iranian and must be tried for his accusations." Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American journalist, was arrested on July 21, 2014, along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, in Tehran. Ms. Salehi was released a month later after posting bail, but Jason Rezaian remains imprisoned and awaiting trial. Mr. Rezaian's lawyer has described the charges against his client as "espionage," "collaboration with hostile governments," "gathering confidential information," and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic." The U.S. government and the Washington Post have deemed these accusations "baseless."