DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – A lawyer chosen to represent a Washington Post correspondent detained in Iran has been unable to complete formalities to defend him, the reporter’s brother said Wednesday as he appealed to the judiciary and the country’s top leader to examine the case.
Iranian-American Jason Rezaian was detained in Tehran on July 22 along with his Iranian wife, reporter Yeganeh Salehi, and two photojournalists. Rezaian, who was born and spent most of his life in the United States, is the only one of the four still behind bars.
Charges against him have not been made public, and his family says he has never had access to a lawyer. A judiciary official last month said he expected a trial to begin soon in Iran’s Revolutionary Court, which mostly hears cases involving security offenses.
American officials repeatedly have raised concerns about Rezaian and other Americans jailed in Iran, which does not recognize dual nationalities for its citizens. The Post has criticized his continued imprisonment as “appalling and outrageous” and also has called for his release.
His brother, Ali Rezaian, told The Associated Press by phone from California that the family has asked defense attorney Masoud Shafiei to represent the journalist, but that he has been prevented from dropping off paperwork Rezaian must sign to formally enlist his services on three consecutive days this week.