Iran Issues "Ruling" In Jason Rezaian Case, But Doesn't Explain What It Is

Twitter: @jrezaian

Iran's judiciary on Sunday announced a ruling had been issued in the case of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who has been jailed in the country for more than a year on espionage charges.

However, Iranian officials did not specify what the ruling was, leading to widespread confusion.

"The ruling on this case has been issued," Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei told reporters Sunday at a press conference, Reuters reported. "There is still the possibility of this ruling being appealed and it is not final."

Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron said it was unclear whether the ruling included a verdict or a sentence, nor whether any information had been conveyed to Rezaian's lawyers.

"This vague and puzzling statement by the government of Iran only adds to the injustice that has surrounded Jason’s case since his arrest 15 months ago," Baron said in a statement.

Rezaian was working as the newspaper’s Tehran bureau chief when he was arrested in July 2014 by Iranian authorities.

He was held for months before being charged with espionage, collecting classified information, collaborating with hostile governments, and propaganda against the establishment.

His supporters and human rights advocates have repeatedly complained of the shadowy, secretive nature of the Iranian judicial process.

In a statement, Rezaian's brother, Ali, called Sunday's news "another sad chapter in his 14-month illegal imprisonment and opaque trial process."

"It follows an unconscionable pattern by Iranian authorities of silence, obfuscation, delay, and a total lack of adherence to international law, as well as Iranian law," Ali Rezaian said.

"The Iranian government has never provided any proof of the trumped up espionage and other charges against Jason, so today's vague statement on a purported verdict, while certainly disappointing to our family, is not surprising," he said.

State Department spokesman John Kirby told Reuters the U.S. was monitoring the case.

"We continue to call for all charges against Jason to be dropped and for him to be immediately released," Kirby said.

LINK: A Year In The Life Of An American Reporter Locked In An Iranian Prison

LINK: Washington Post Reporter’s Family, Public Barred From Attending His Trial In Iran

SOURCE: BuzzFeed