TEHRAN // A Washington Post journalist detained in Iran for over eight months is accused of “espionage” and “acting against national security”, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported.
The report on Sunday did not elaborate on the source of the information, but the agency is regarded as close to Iran’s hardliners.
Iranian officials have previously said Jason Rezaian is facing “security” charges and that he will stand trial before the Revolutionary Court, which mainly hears sensitive cases involving national security.
Mr Rezaian’s lawyer, Leila Ahsan, said she had finished studying the text of the indictment and would brief Mr Rezaian’s family in the coming days.
She visited Mr Rezaian in prison last month.
“He appeared to be in good health and spirits. I can see him anytime. Jason asked me to provide a strong defense. I’m in constant touch with his wife and family. I’ve requested that the court hold the trial as soon as possible,” she said.
Mr Rezaian, along with his Iranian wife Yeganeh Salehi, correspondent for The National, and two photojournalists were detained on July 22 in Tehran.
All were later released except Mr Rezaian, who is a dual US-Iranian citizen. Iran does not recognise dual nationality.
The Post, US officials and Mr Rezaian’s family have all called for his release. Reacting to the Fars report that Mr Rezaian will face espionage charges, Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron said, “Any charges of that sort would be absurd, the product of fertile and twisted imaginations.”
“We are left to repeat our call on the Iranian government to release Jason, and in the meantime, we are counting on his lawyer to mount a vigorous defense,” Mr Baron said.
The Fars report alleged that Mr Rezaian had obtained economic and industrial information from Iran and sold it to unnamed Americans. It also linked him to Omid Memarian, an independent Iranian journalist based in the US.
“Selling Iran’s economic and industrial information at a time of sanctions is exactly like selling food to the enemy at a time of war,” Fars claimed.
In an email, Mr Memarian said he had been singled out in the Fars report because he has been outspoken about Mr Rezaian’s condition and his innocence since the journalist’s arrest.
“Now that the Iranian intelligence has been incapable of presenting any proof that Jason did something wrong, they spread lies about him and his colleagues-friends to influence the upcoming court,” Mr Memarian said.
* Associated Press
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Manchester United 2
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Initial investment: Undisclosed
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The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
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Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
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- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
