Jason Rezaian released from Iran

Iranian officials announced today the release of imprisoned journalist Jason Rezaian. Rezaian, a Washington Post Correspondent, served 18 months in Iran’s prison on charges of espionage. Since his arrest in 2014, Rezaian was detained longer than any previous Western journalist in Iran. Throughout his trial and conviction, Iran refused to release details, allowing many journalists and U.S. officials to call his arrest unjust.

According to the Iranian officials, Rezaian and three other detained Iranian Americans were released in exchange for seven people imprisoned or charged in the United States. U.S. officials confirmed the release and said that the deal came after more than a year of secret negotiations.

In December, COM honored Rezaian with the 2015 Hugo Shong Reporting on Asia Award. The award honored Rezaian for his courage in the face of persecution, assuring him, his family, and the journalism community that his work and circumstances have not gone unrecognized. Ali Rezaian visited COM to accept the award on behalf of his brother and speak about the circumstances surrounding his imprisonment. In a brief statement released today on Twitter, Ali said:

"At his moment I do not have any direct confirmation that Jason has been released. We all hope it is true.”