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Iran Must Pay a Price for Detaining Washington Post Reporter
(Washington Post) Editorial - Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, 39, who was born and raised in California but is an Iranian and U.S. citizen, has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison since July 22, apparently at the instigation of intelligence and judicial authorities. As President Obama has said, Rezaian is guilty of doing nothing more than "writing about the hopes and fears of the Iranian people." This blatantly unjust treatment is showing Iran to be a country where foreign visitors, including potential Western investors, are vulnerable to being seized as hostages. It shows that the judiciary does not observe minimal standards of fairness or even adhere to Iran's own laws. It suggests that the government of President Rouhani cannot be counted on to deliver on its international commitments - including the prospective nuclear accord - because of its inability to control the intelligence services, Revolutionary Guard and other reactionaries. As long as the journalist is held, Iran should pay a price.