Impact of Iran deal on detained American journalist

The family of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post journalist accused of espionage and imprisoned in Iran for nearly 1 year, is hoping this week’s Iranian nuclear agreement could somehow lead to his release.

Rezaian’s brother, Ali Rezaian, who has been spearheading the fight for Jason’s release, spoke with Yahoo Global News Anchor Bianna Golodryga on how this deal could impact his brother’s fate.
 
“My feeling is that anything that sheds more light on the situation is going to help,” explains Rezaian. But he ultimately believes that “until Jason is out, nobody has done enough.”
 
On July 22, 2014, Jason Rezaian, a correspondent for The Washington Post, and his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, were taken from their home in Tehran at gunpoint and were not heard from for over two months. Rezaian, who holds dual Iranian and American citizenship, has been one of only a few Americans to be based in Iran with official permission from the Iranian authorities to work as a journalist.  On Oct. 1, after two and a half months of detainment, Salehi, who is a journalist for The National, a newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, was finally released on bail and threatened by her captors not to speak to the media about her experience. Rezaian, however, still remains in Evin Prison, without any formal charge being filed against him.
 
With his closed-door trial underway this week, the timing of this landmark deal between Iran and the West is noteworthy, bringing both newfound hope and criticism alike. At a press conference on Wednesday, President Obama was asked why the release of Rezaian and three other Americans in the Iranian prison was not included in the negotiations. The President responded forcefully, saying, "the notion that I am content as I celebrate with American citizens languishing in Iranian jails - that's nonsense." He added: "Nobody is content." He went on to say that his administration is “working every day” for their release.