Jason Rezaian, who’s been jailed in Iran’s Evin Prison for over 500 days, received a small Christmas gift when his wife and mother were able to visit him.
“After several efforts, Yegi [Jason’s wife] and I were able to secure permission from the court to meet with Jason for several hours today, Christmas,” Rezaian’s mother, Mary, told The Washington Post.
Jason’s mother was allowed to bring her son a home-cooked meal and spend an extended amount of time with him.
“This is the first time in the year that I have been visiting him in Evin Prison that I could spend an extended time there and bring him his first home-cooked meal in months,” she told The Post.
“We had a wonderful time together reminiscing of holidays past.”
The newspaper’s editor, Marty Baron, who previously decried the “sinister” imprisonment of his Iranian bureau chief during an interview with TheWrap, expressed his satisfaction that Jason was able to be with family on Christmas.
“We are enormously pleased that our colleague Jason was permitted to spend extended time with his mother, Mary, and his wife, Yegi,” Baron said.”It is a happy occasion for them and for all of us.
But Baron continued to condemn Rezaian’s imprisonment.
“We have to note, this visit is a rare exception in the 522 days of tragic, unjust imprisonment of a good, honorable and innocent man.”We welcome this act of basic humanity, and we encourage his jailers in Iran to follow up by doing all that justice and decency require: Release Jason from prison and allow him a return to life as a free man who can spend time with his family where and whenever he pleases.”