The United States condemned the decision by an Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran last week to impose a 10-year prison term on an Iranian American news reporter after he was convicted of "collaborating with a hostile government."
“We are aware of reports dual Iranian-U.S. citizen journalist Reza Valizadeh has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran,” a State Department spokesperson stated in a Monday email to Voice of America, a former employer of the defendant. “We strongly condemn this sentencing and call for his immediate release and the release of all political prisoners in Iran.”
This verdict was the first confirmation that Valizadeh had been detained by the regime since accounts of his September abduction began circulating in October. His last post on X revealed he had traveled to the Persian Gulf nation in February to visit family members.
Valizadeh’s lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, described the ruling to VOA as “a heavy sentence” and “based on an incorrect charge,” adding that individuals employed by Western media outlets whose reporting clashed with the theocracy’s views usually faced lesser indictments.
Aghasi also indicated his client was held in a special security ward, which hindered his ability to provide effective legal counsel.
The Islamic Republic is often criticized for arresting expatriates on fabricated allegations to gain leverage in diplomatic negotiations with adversarial countries.
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