Iran sentences Washington Post reporter to prison

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian has been sentenced to an unspecified prison term in Iran, following his conviction last month on spying charges, Iranian state television reported Sunday.

“Jason Rezaian’s verdict has been issued, but he has not been formally notified of it,” Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie, the spokesman for the Judiciary, said in a story on the station’s web site.

He said an appeal is expected, but that he has been sentenced to prison.

PressTV-Jason Rezaian gets jail term in Iran

Rezaian, 39, was charged with “espionage, collaboration with hostile governments, gathering classified information and spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” according to his lawyer Leila Ahsan.

He faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted on charges that include espionage and distributing propaganda against Iran.

But Ahsan told The Associated Press she had not been informed of the verdict – let alone details of the sentence.

"I have no information about details of the verdict," she said. "We were expecting the verdict some three months ago."

Iran sentences Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian

The Post has vigorously denied the accusations against its correspondent.

“Every day that Jason is in prison is an injustice. He has done nothing wrong,” said Douglas Jehl, the Post's foreign editor. “Even after keeping Jason in prison 487 days so far, Iran has produced no evidence of wrongdoing. His trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately.”

Rezaian was detained with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, in July 2014. She was released on bail, but Rezaian, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, was held for trial.

Rezaian went on trial in four closed-door court hearings at Tehran's Revolutionary Court and was convicted of spying and other charges.

Rezaian, who has covered Iran for the Post since 2012, grew up in Marin County, California and spent most of his life in the United States.