Reza Valizadeh, Iranian-American Journalist, Sentenced to 10 Years by Tehran Court for 'Collaborating with US'

Dec 14, 2024, 05:11 PM

Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist who previously worked for Radio Farda, a US government-funded broadcaster under the supervision of the US Agency for Global Media, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Tehran Revolutionary Court. The court found him guilty of 'collaborating with the hostile US government.' Valizadeh returned to Iran in March 2024, after 13 years abroad, to visit his family despite the lack of security guarantees. He was arrested in September, following informal assurances from Iranian security officials that he would not face legal issues. His sentence includes a ban on residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, a prohibition on leaving the country, and a two-year ban on membership in political parties. Currently, Valizadeh is held in solitary confinement in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a section run by the Ministry of Intelligence, with limited access to basic amenities and visitation rights. His lawyer, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, has stated that the verdict can be appealed within 20 days.