Washington Post Reporter to Stand Trial in Iran - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
Washington Post Reporter to Stand Trial in Iran
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While negotiations between the Obama Administration and Iran (along with the other P5 + 1 nations) have resumed over Iran’s nuclear program, Iran has seen fit to put a reporter for The Washington Post on trial.

Iran’s state news agency announced that Jason Rezaian, who serves as the Post’s Tehran correspondent, will stand trial though they did not disclose the nature of the charges against Rezaian.

Rezaian was arrested back in July along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi although she was subsequently released in October.

Charges were laid against Rezaian last month. At the time, Secretary of State John Kerry put out the following statement:

The United States is deeply disappointed and concerned by reports that the Iranian judiciary has charged Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian with unspecified charges, and that the judge denied his request to be released on bail. We are also distressed by reports that Jason was not allowed access to an attorney, which is a clear violation of Iran’s own laws and international norms. I am personally dismayed and disturbed at these reports as I have repeatedly raised Jason’s case, and the other cases of detained or missing U.S. citizens, directly with Iranian officials.

We share the concerns of Mr. Rezaian’s family regarding reports that he is under physical and psychological distress, and is not receiving proper medical care. The Iranian government continues to deny our repeated requests for Consular Access to Jason by our Protecting Power, the Swiss, so we are unable to check on his condition or ensure adequate legal representation.

Jason poses no threat to the Iranian government or to Iran’s national security. We call on the Iranian government to drop any and all charges against Jason and release him immediately so that he can be reunited with his family.

Likewise, we again call for the release of U.S. citizens Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini, and ask for the Iranian government’s cooperation in locating Robert Levinson, so that all may be returned to their families.

So let me get this straight.

John Kerry is actively engaged in negotiations with a nation that is holding four of our citizens hostage and putting one of them on trial.

John Kerry is actively engaged in negotiations with a nation that by own his admission is refusing his repeated requests on behalf of Rezaian for access to the Swiss Consulate.

John Kerry is actively engaged in negotiations with a nation that is behaving in bad faith.

And yet John Kerry continues to negotiate with Iran.

Of course, the idea of negotiating with the Iranian regime is a fool’s errand. But if we must negotiate with them then let’s do it under our terms.

If the Obama Administration had any guts they would suspend any future negotiations with Iran until our citizens are released alive and well.

But the Obama Administration is more concerned about getting an agreement, any agreement with Iran than it is about the well-being of our citizens.

If Iran summarily executed all four of these Americans, the Obama Administration wouldn’t blink an eyelash. They’d go and blame it on an internet video.

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