Iran court holds final hearing for detained Post journalist

An Iranian court on Monday held its final hearing in the trial of a Washington Post journalist charged with espionage and other crimes, and a decision could come within the week, his attorney said.

The move toward a possible verdict comes more than a year after Iranian authorities detained Jason Rezaian, The Post’s correspondent in Tehran. He has strongly denied the allegations against him, and the State Department, international media watchdog groups and others have pressed for his release.

Some U.S. lawmakers also have questioned why negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program did not include explicit demands for the release of Rezaian and other Americans held in the country.

The Post’s executive editor, Martin Baron, noted that no evidence had been presented against Rezaian in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court since the closed-door proceedings began in May. He urged Iran’s leaders to end the “nonsensical” prosecution and give back to Rezaian and his Iranian wife, Yeganeh Salehi, a journalist for the National newspaper in Abu Dhabi who faces similar charges, their “freedom and lives.”

Rezaian’s attorney, Leila Ahsan, said the court has one week to deliver its verdict, according to a statement issued by Rezaian’s family. Ahsan, who is allowed to speak only to Iran-based media outlets, gave no other details.

On Monday, the lawyer presented to the court “both verbal and written” briefs in which Rezaian “denied any wrongdoing” as he repeated his not-guilty plea, she was quoted as saying in the family statement.

“There is no evidence that would support the charges against Jason,” the statement quoted her as saying. “I expect nothing but his full acquittal.” Ahsan also said she told the court that she “strongly objected” to secret evidence shared only between the judge and the prosecution.

“By Iranian law, only evidence in the case file can be used against my client,” she told Rezaian’s family, according to the statement. Rezaian reportedly faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The charges against him include espionage and distributing propaganda against Iran.