Zarif: The Iranian Government Will Assist in Resolving Jason Rezaian's Case

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, promised government cooperation to resolve the case of Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post journalist in Tehran, but emphasized that this matter is related to Iran's judiciary. Mr. Zarif made these remarks on Wednesday, January 24, in Geneva, just moments before he was to negotiate with his American counterpart regarding Iran's nuclear dispute. According to AFP, the Iranian Foreign Minister, in response to reporters' questions about the status of Jason Rezaian's case, stated: "The government is making every effort to provide assistance. This is a judicial matter." He then added: "We must wait for the judiciary to proceed with the matters, but at the same time, we are trying to help as much as we can." Meanwhile, the Tehran prosecutor announced the referral of Mr. Rezaian's case to the Revolutionary Court. According to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi stated on Wednesday: "The case of Jason Rezaian has been sent to the Islamic Revolutionary Court for consideration following the issuance of an indictment." This judicial official noted that "Jason Rezaian's mother, who recently traveled to Iran to visit her son, met with him twice and also had a brief meeting with the investigator of her son's case." Jason Rezaian, 38, was arrested on the last day of Tir (July) last year along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, but Ms. Salehi was released on bail while Mr. Rezaian remains in prison pending an extension of his detention. Recent reports indicate that he has been tried in a lengthy court session lasting 10 hours. This news, however, prompted a reaction from John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, who urged Iranian officials to drop the "vague" charges against Mr. Rezaian and release him as soon as possible. However, Mohammad Javad Zarif insists that this is a judicial matter and must be handled through Iran's judiciary. He stated on Wednesday: "We hope this issue will be resolved. But unfortunately, there are issues at play - there are judicial matters that the judiciary must address." Mr. Zarif further distinguished this case from that of Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine, stating that Amir Hekmati "holds an Iranian passport" and that those with dual nationality are subject to the laws of the country they are originally from. Amir Hekmati has been imprisoned in Iran since 2011 on espionage charges. He was initially sentenced to death, but the Supreme Court overturned the death penalty, reducing it to 10 years in prison. The U.S. government has rejected the charges against Amir Hekmati and has called on Iranian officials to release him. In this context, Amir Hekmati's lawyer mentioned a proposal for a prisoner exchange involving Hekmati, which the U.S. rejected. The U.S. has called for the release of the Washington Post journalist in Iran, and Jason Rezaian's mother stated that Iran must free her son. There are concerns about whether security forces will bring Jason Rezaian to television. The Deputy Cultural Prosecutor stated that Rezaian's release is not imminent.