Jason Rezaian detention: Iran says Washington Post reporter will stand trial

Unclear what charges will be brought against journalist

Jason Rezaian (Twitter)

A Washington Post journalist detained in Iran for months has been indicted and will stand trial, Iran's state news agency reported on Wednesday, without elaborating on what charges he faced.

The report by the official IRNA news agency came the same day as US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif before talks with world powers resume over the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear programme.

It was not immediately clear if the two events were connected, though Mr Zarif earlier said he hoped the case against reporter Jason Rezaian could be resolved.

“We will have to wait for the judiciary to move forward, but we will try to provide all the humanitarian assistance that we could,” Mr Zarif told journalists in Geneva. “We hope that this issue could be resolved but unfortunately there are judicial issues involved which the judiciary has to deal with.”

IRNA quoted Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi saying that Mr Rezaian, the newspaper's bureau chief in Tehran since 2012, had been indicted. He was previously charged last month, but the bill of indictment clears the way for his trial.

Mr Rezaian, an Iranian-American who holds dual citizenship, has been held since July 22. The IRNA report did not disclose what charges he faces. However, the report says he will stand trial in Iran's Revolutionary Court, which mostly hears cases involving security offenses.

The Washington Post, US officials and Mr Rezaian's mother have repeatedly called for his release. Officials at the Post could not be immediately reached for comment.

IRNA quoted the prosecutor as saying Mr Rezaian's mother met twice with him on her recent visit to Iran.

Associated Press