CPJ Decries Iranian Charges Against Washington Post Journalist

The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Iranian authorities to drop the charges against Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian and release him immediately.

CPJ was reacting to reports that Rezaian had been charged with espionage, collaboration with hostile governments and propaganda.

Rezaian's lawyer has said there is no evidence to justify any of the charges against him. CPJ agrees.

"The fact that Iran has no evidence to back up these grave charges proves the political nature of Jason Rezaian's prolonged and cruel detention," said Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.