Designed to gain leverage over US, Iran convicts journalist Jason Rezaian from the Washington Post | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights. In response to the conviction of Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian by Iran’s Revolutionary Court, as reported by Iranian State TV, Freedom House released the following statement:

“The reported conviction shows the Iranian government’s utter disregard for a free press, its disrespect for its own laws, and its profound distortion of basic concepts of truth and fairness,” said Mark P. Lagon, president of Freedom House.  “The United States should make the release of Rezaian and the safe departure of Rezaian and his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, from Iran top priorities in its contacts with Iran in every forum.”

Iran is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2015, Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2015, and Not Free inFreedom on the Net 2014.

Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post has been convicted in an espionage trial by an Iranian court, Iranian state TV said late Sunday night. According to the Post, news of Rezaian’s conviction first came early Sunday, but details were few. Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, a spokesman for Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, “said definitively that Rezaian was found…