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After almost 18 months behind bars in Iran, Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian was released on Saturday, January 16. He is “in good spirits”, according to his brother.
Ali Rezaian, who was interviewed from Germany, told CNN today, January 18, that he had not been able to see his brother yet, but that they have spoken twice by phone. Jason is undergoing medical evaluation at the US military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
“He really can’t wait to get out there, see people, meet people, but right now he’s got to focus on getting himself better,” Ali Rezaian said.
News of Jason Rezaian’s release emerged on the same day the nuclear deal came into effect. The Washington Post correspondent was freed along with three other American prisoners as part of a prisoner swap in which seven Iranian-US dual nationals were released from prison in the United States. The exchange was the result of 14 months of secret negotiations between the US and Iran.
According to Ali, Jason’s flight out of Iran was originally expected to leave on Saturday following his release, but was delayed when Iranian officials tried to stop his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, from coming with him. Salehi was arrested along with Jason Rezaian at their home in Tehran on July 22, 2014. She was later released, but remained under threat of prosecution.
“Jason had been told he was going to be leaving. Yegi had been told repeatedly by the interrogators that they weren’t going to let her leave with Jason. And that’s what caused the problems,” Ali explained.
“The Iranians, as they have done all along, continued to manipulate them, continued to try to mess with them, and prevented Yegi from leaving for some period of time,” Ali Rezaian said. “But thanks to the Swiss and thanks to the Americans, she came home with him.”
Watch the full interview via CNN.
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