Reporters Committee statement on the release of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian
Statement from Bruce D. Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, on the release of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian from prison in Iran:
“The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press joins the world journalism community and The Washington Post in breathing a sigh of relief that Iran has released reporter Jason Rezaian from prison.
“That Jason should ever have been imprisoned for a day, let alone the 18 months he spent in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons, was a terrible strike against press freedom. No journalist should ever be imprisoned, targeted or otherwise put in harm’s way for gathering and reporting the news. Sadly, this is the case in far too many places around the world.
“Today we will celebrate Jason’s journey home to his family and colleagues. But we also must remember that there are journalists around the world who won’t be coming home today, or any time soon. In Jason’s honor, we are reminded to stand firm and speak out for freedom of the press in every nation.
“Welcome home, Jason.”
About the Reporters Committee
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press was founded by leading journalists and media lawyers in 1970, at a time when the nation’s news media faced a wave of government subpoenas asking reporters to name confidential sources. Today it provides legal resources, and support to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists. Funded by corporate, foundation, and individual contributions, the Reporters Committee serves the nation’s leading news organizations; thousands of reporters, editors, and media lawyers; and many more who use our online and mobile resources. For more information, go to www.rcfp.org, or follow us on Twitter @rcfp.
Reporters Committee Steering Committee members are: Chair, Pierre Thomas, ABC News; Vice Chair, David Boardman, Temple University School of Media and Communication; Stephen J. Adler, Reuters; Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press; Wolf Blitzer, CNN; Chip Bok, Creators Syndicate; Jan Crawford, CBS News; Michael Duffy, Time; Richard S. Dunham, Tsinghua University, Beijing; Ashlea Ebeling, Forbes Magazine; Susan Goldberg, National Geographic; John C. Henry, Freelance; Nat Hentoff, United Media Newspaper Syndicate; Dahlia Lithwick, Slate; Tony Mauro, National Law Journal; Jane Mayer, The New Yorker; Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times; Andrea Mitchell, NBC News; Scott Montgomery, NPR; Maggie Mulvihill, Boston University; Jeffrey Rosen, The National Constitution Center; Carol Rosenberg, The Miami Herald; Thomas C. Rubin, Seattle, Wash.; Eric Schmitt, The New York Times; Margaret Low Smith, The Atlantic; Jennifer Sondag, Bloomberg News; Paul Steiger, Pro Publica; Saundra Torry, USA TODAY; and Judy Woodruff, PBS/The NewsHour. (Affiliations appear only for purposes of identification.)