The Iranian-American journalist was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran

In Iran, the court sentenced Reza Valizadeh, a former journalist of the Iranian service of Radio Liberty, a citizen of the USA and Iran, to 10 years in prison. He is accused of working for a “hostile government”.

In addition to the prison term, Valizadeh was banned from living in Tehran and neighboring provinces for two years after serving the sentence, leaving the country or joining political or non-governmental organizations.

Valizade worked in the Iranian service of “Azatutyun” r/k for 10 years until 2022. Earlier this year, he traveled to Iran to meet his family and was arrested after refusing to cooperate with intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is designated as a terrorist organization by US authorities.

The security services unofficially promised the journalist that he would not be in any danger upon arrival, his relatives claimed. He reminded the judge about this during his trial.

The US State Department condemned Valizadeh’s detention, calling it unjust and inconsistent with international legal norms. Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Iranian authorities to release him immediately.

RFE/RL president Stephen Kapus also called for Valizadeh’s release, saying the charges, conviction and sentence were unfair.

Iran is regularly criticized for arresting dual citizens and Western citizens on false charges in order to use them to pressure Western countries.