Update on Jason Rezaian, Anthony Bourdain’s Friend in Iran: Still Detained, Charged with ‘Unknown Crimes’
Seems as though Anthony Bourdain has good reason to be a little jaded by his whole experience in Iran. Jasaon Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter who invited Bourdain into his home to film an episode of Parts Unknown and was later detained, was formally charged this week with “unknown crimes.” (Yes, we see the total irony in the “unknown” alliteration; no, we don’t like it.)
The Washington Post says that the charges are still unknown to anyone outside the court room of his most recent day-long hearing. It’s a slight problem, because Rezaian is also not allowed to speak to his lawyer; the only person he has been allowed any communication has been his wife, Yeganeh Salehi. Salahi was also detained for a time, but has since been released.
Now it seems that his release won’t be anytime soon, as it may take upwards of a month just to schedule a court date. Rezaian has been in solitary confinement for the last four months, which his family says has exacerbated his health problems. The Post also says his imprisonment had already been extended because “the investigation against him is continuing.”
Secretary of State John Kerry weighed in with a statement this weekend, saying that the government has repeatedly denied the U.S. from checking on his health conditions, or ensuring that he has proper legal representation. “Jason poses no threat to the Iranian government or to Iran’s national security. We call on the Iranian government to drop any and all charges against Jason and release him immediately so that he can be reunited with his family,” Kerry said.
Bourdain recently said on Charlie Rose that the whole experience had colored his experience of Iran, which he once said was home to “the nicest people in the world.”
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