Podcast appearances and mentions of Jason Rezaian

This month, the National Constitution Center convened the 2024 National First Amendment Summit, in partnership with FIRE and NYU's First Amendment Watch. America's leading legal thinkers joined for a vigorous discussion on the state of free speech in America and around the globe. This episode features a conversation about global free speech with Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post. He spent 544 days unjustly imprisoned by Iranian authorities until his release in January 2016. Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  Resources: 2024 National First Amendment Summit  FIRE: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression  NYU's First Amendment Watch  The Washington Post's Press Freedom Partnership Jason Rezaian, Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison―Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out (2019)   Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcasts@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen. Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube. Support our important work. Donate

Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger D. Carstens joins The Post's Jason Rezaian to discuss the recent historic prisoner trade releasing several Americans and other individuals from Russian prisons, his ongoing work to free other U.S. citizens abroad and efforts to end the practice of hostage-taking. Conversation recorded on Monday, August 12, 2024.

Stock markets have fallen as fears of a US recession send investors fleeing from risk while wagering that rate cuts will be needed to rescue growth. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is holding an emergency meeting with police chiefs after days of violent anti-immigration protests intensified. Jason Rezaian, a journalist who was released from Iran in 2016 after being wrongfully detained, tell us the mental and bureaucratic challenges facing the prisoners released in an exchange with Russia last week.  Find our recommended read here. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tommy and Ben discuss the international reaction to Biden's decision to drop out of the presidential race, and dive into what Kamala Harris's foreign policy could look like based on her record in the Senate, experience during the Biden administration, and advisers. They also talk about Netanyahu's visit to Washington and planned speech to Congress, resignations of Senator Robert Menendez and the head of the Secret Service, deadly protests in Bangladesh, updates from the EU, and how to escape from a cocaine shark. Then, Tommy speaks with Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian about the 10 year anniversary of his imprisonment in Iran, and what the US government could be doing now to get more hostages home from Russia and Hamas. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Jason Rezaian, the former Tehran bureau chief for The Washington Post, who was unjustly imprisoned in 2014 in Iran on charges of espionage for 544 days joins The Post's Frances Stead Sellers to reflect on his freedom 10 years since his imprisonment, his work to raise awareness about journalists being held captive and the state of global press freedom. Conversation recorded on Monday, July 22, 2024.

It's the week of the Fourth of July and the word patriotism is as divisive as the rest of American politics. Theodore Johnson, Karen Attiah and Jason Rezaian discuss the good and the bad about the United States, and how to reconcile its shortcomings while pushing for a better future. Read more from some of our columnists —Ted Johnson: “American democracy is fine. It's the republic that's in trouble.”“Buck up, America. Help is on the way.”Karen Attiah: “How to reckon with the cult of the gun”

Senior International Counsel Ambassador Robert Kimmitt joins In the Public Interest host Felicia Ellsworth to talk about his storied career in public service. Through his service as the first General Counsel of the National Security Council, the first American Ambassador to a united Germany in over 50 years, General Counsel and Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Treasury, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and more, Ambassador Kimmitt has played a leading role in some of the most high-profile international events in recent history, and he shares that perspective with listeners.Ellsworth and Kimmitt also discuss his private practice at WilmerHale, including how he and the firm have become go-to resources for journalists and others who have been taken hostage in difficult countries around the world. He shares the role he played in bringing home The Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, among others.

Almost four months since Hamas' barbaric attacks, Israel's bloody operation in Gaza is still ongoing, with civilian casualties mounting by the day. The war has dominated our news feeds and dinner table conversations, and opened up rifts that cross traditional partisan lines. Three of our columnists — Jason Rezaian, Alyssa Rosenberg and Shadi Hamid — got together to discuss if the war is changing how they think about America, its moral standing in the world and what it means to be an American. Keep listening for updates on more conversations coming from the Opinions team at The Post. Capehart will be back with a new episode next week.

Why the US should be wary of Iran's reaction to strikes on Houthi rebels with Jason Rezaian of ‘The Washington Post'. Plus: our panel of Monocle voices discuss the state of Norwegian prisons, Ukraine's Eurovision selection process and we look forward to Monocle Radio's presence in Davos.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CSIS' Jon Alterman and Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian, who serve as executive directors of the CSIS Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention, join the podcast to discuss the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza, lessons from the Israel-Hamas hostage deal, and how global thought and policymaking regarding hostage situations should evolve.

Jen Psaki breaks down a federal judge's decision rejecting Donald Trump's attempt to have his federal case thrown out, with a claim that echoes Richard Nixon's famous line. Legal experts Neal Katyal and Andrew Weissmann join. Plus Democratic Rep. Stacey Plaskett joins Jen to discuss the new revelations about House Speaker Mike Johnson and what it all suggests about the direction of the House GOP. Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian draws on his own experience as a former detainee of an authoritarian government to discuss the looming threat a second Trump term could bring. Plus in the debut of the new “Exit Interview” segment, Rep. Dan Kildee joins Jen to candidly discuss his decision to step down after decades in the House.Check out our social pages below:https://twitter.com/InsideWithPsakihttps://www.instagram.com/InsideWithPsaki/https://www.tiktok.com/@insidewithpsakihttps://www.msnbc.com/jen-psaki

Israel's Cabinet votes to approve a hostage release deal with Hamas that would see at least 50 women and children freed, in exchange for a four-day truce in the IDF air and ground campaign in Gaza. A family member of multiple hostages joins to react to the deal, and ex-Iranan prisoner Jason Rezaian joins to discuss what release could look like for the hostages, and why he thinks "a lot of things could still go sideways”. Plus, a Georgia judge declines to jail a Trump election racketeering co-defendant over allegedly attempting to target witnesses using social media posts. For information on the Israel-Gaza conflict, check out CNN's podcast ‘Tug of War: Attack on Israel'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel's Cabinet votes to approve a hostage release deal with Hamas that would see at least 50 women and children freed, in exchange for a four-day truce in the IDF air and ground campaign in Gaza. A family member of multiple hostages joins to react to the deal, and ex-Iranan prisoner Jason Rezaian joins to discuss what release could look like for the hostages, and why he thinks "a lot of things could still go sideways”. Plus, a Georgia judge declines to jail a Trump election racketeering co-defendant over allegedly attempting to target witnesses using social media posts. For information on the Israel-Gaza conflict, check out CNN's podcast ‘Tug of War: Attack on Israel'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a producer and senior editor of NPRs "All Things Considered" for more than a decade, Alison helped shepherd that show's coverage of one financial crisis, two wars and three presidential elections. She then became NPR's storytelling guru which meant she guided some of the best radio and podcast talents in the world to become better at narrative storytelling. Today she is a sought after freelance audio editor whose work could be heard on such in-depth journalistic podcast series as "The 13th Step", which tells of how women seeking to overcome drug addiction routinely became victims of sexual abuse by the very residential treatment staff that were supposed to help them, and the podcast, "544 Days" about journalist Jason Rezaian's imprisonment in an Iranian jail while international real politics swirled around his life or death situation.Alison works behind the scenes, she's rarely on mic but that hasn't stopped her talent from shining through. She was awarded a Nieman fellowship at Harvard and "Believed", the podcast she worked on about Larry Nassar, the former Olympics and college gymnastic coach who abused hundreds of young women, won the Peabody, duPont-Columbia, Scripps-Howard, and Dart awards.

72 hours after the deadly surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, Jen Psaki brings you an update on the unfolding crisis, including the threat by Hamas to execute the kidnapped Israeli hostages and the latest on the skirmishes at Israel's border with Lebanon. She's joined by John Kirby, the National Security Council's Coordinator for Strategic Communications, to talk about those developments and the possibility that the Biden Administration will assist in resolving the hostage crisis. Later, Former CIA Director John Brennan analyzes Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks today and how the war might escalate. Additionally, Abbey Onn speaks to Jen about the five members of her family who were taken hostage by Hamas and Jason Rezaian joins to discuss the American citizens who are likely among the captives. Finally, Jen speaks to Senator Tim Kaine about how Congress can break the partisan deadlock to aid Israel. Check out our social pages below:https://twitter.com/InsideWithPsakihttps://www.instagram.com/InsideWithPsaki/https://www.tiktok.com/@insidewithpsakihttps://www.msnbc.com/jen-psaki

P.M. Edition for Sept. 29. Lawmakers face a Sunday deadline to avert a government shutdown. Economic policy reporter Andrew Duehren discusses what to expect. All three major U.S. stock indexes end the quarter with losses. Markets reporter Karen Langley explains. The United Auto Workers union expands its strike, and autos reporter Nora Eckert has the details. Plus, six months after WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia, we revisit our interview with Washington Post writer Jason Rezaian, who was detained in Iran. Annmarie Fertoli hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from Texas Tribune Fest Congressman Ruben Gallego details his run for the Arizona senate. Ryan Busse details his run for Governor of Montana. Washington Post Global Opinions columnist Jason Rezaian examines the imprisoned journalists who are locked up abroad. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are back in the U.S. Jared Genser, a human rights lawyer representing Siamak Namazi, one of those recently freed. joins us. Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post global opinions writer who spent 544 days imprisoned unjustly by Iranian authorities, talks with us about how the freed Americans are readjusting to society. And, Climate Week NYC is one of the largest annual events focused on climate change. Grist reporter Zoya Teirstein joins us. Then, Republicans in Wisconsin are working to lock in their redistricting map and impeach newly elected liberal state Supreme Court justice Janet Protasiewicz. Author and Mother Jones correspondent Ari Berman joins us.

The White House has declared hostage-taking to be a national emergency. In July 2022, Biden issued an executive order outlining steps to deter the practice and help bring Americans back sooner. Increasingly, autocratic nation states such as Russia and Iran are detaining U.S. citizens unlawfully or on minor and bogus charges with the aim of getting something they want. Hostage diplomacy is no longer a tactic of terrorists or rogue actors, but a tool government officials are turning to. Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, is the person who takes charge and tries to start negotiations when the State Department determines that a detainment is a diplomatic issue. At the Aspen Ideas Festival, NBC correspondent Tom Llamas talks with Carstens about the process, as well as Jason Rezaian, who spent 544 days in an Iranian prison for being a Washington Post reporter. Hostage expert Dani Gilbert, a political science professor at Northwestern University, also joins the panel to share research in this field.

It appears that five Iranian Americans who have been detained in Iran are in the process of being released. The Associated Press reports Iran's move is part of an agreement in which billions of dollars frozen in South Korea will be released. Amna Nawaz discussed the latest with Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian, whose own grueling detention by the Iranian government ended in January 2016. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Today's show begins with a huge break in a story we've been covering for years. A group of Americans imprisoned in Iran have just been released from Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. This includes the longest held, 51-year-old Siamak Namazi, who has been languishing there for more than seven years. After being left behind in three previous prisoner swaps, Siamak went to extraordinary lengths on this show five months ago, making a public appeal for his release and that of his fellow Iranian-Americans Emad Shargi and Morad Tabaz. Christiane has a report on how it all unfolded, followed by interviews with Siamak's lawyer Jared Genser, CNN US Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood, and Washington Post writer Jason Rezaian, who spent 18 months in an Iranian prison. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

It appears that five Iranian Americans who have been detained in Iran are in the process of being released. The Associated Press reports Iran's move is part of an agreement in which billions of dollars frozen in South Korea will be released. Amna Nawaz discussed the latest with Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian, whose own grueling detention by the Iranian government ended in January 2016. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman welcomes Jason Rezaian back to the podcast. Jason is a former hostage and alongside Jon, he is the co-executive director of the CSIS Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention. They speak about the growing phenomenon of hostile governments and groups imprisoning Americans to gain leverage against the United States, why it's becoming more common, and what the United States can do both to respond when an American is detained and to deter wrongful detention and hostage taking altogether. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Danny Sharp, speaking about the case of Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton graduate student who was kidnapped in Iraq in March by groups close to the Iranian government.  Jason Rezaian, “Now the real work to end hostage-taking and wrongful detentions begins,” Washington Post Global Opinions, August 30, 2022.  Jason Rezaian and Danny Sharp, “Just Call Them Hostages,” CSIS, July 20, 2023.  Transcript, “Jason Rezaian: The Rise of Hostage Taking,” CSIS, July 25, 2023. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dropped his opposition to Sweden's NATO membership bid, according to NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. The news comes ahead of the alliance's summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Plus, our colleague Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia for more than 100 days. Washington Post writer Jason Rezaian, host of the 544 Days podcast, discusses his wrongful detention in Iran and offers his advice and support to Evan. Annmarie Fertoli hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Secret service agents discover a bag of cocaine in the West Wing of the White House. Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post writer who spent more than a year in an Iranian prison, speaks with Tom about conditions in captivity amid news that an American journalist detained in Russia may be part of an upcoming prisoner swap. Two sheriffs deputies in Los Angeles are under investigation after video emerges of them throwing a woman to the ground. San Francisco is hit by a string of car robberies. And South Carolina battles with New Hampshire to be the first-in-the-nation Democratic primary.

In May, Project Brazen released a podcast about Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal correspondent who was arrested by Russian authorities back in March. Evan was falsely accused of espionage, and he's being held in a Moscow prison until his trial date in August. In that episode, we explored questions around press freedom, journalist safety and security, and the future of foreign correspondence in an increasingly polarized and hostile world. For this episode, reporter Neha Wadekar spoke to another journalist - one who probably can relate to Evan's situation better than anyone. Jason Rezaian moved to Tehran in 2009 and became the Washington Post correspondent and Tehran bureau chief there. In 2014, Jason and his wife - who was also a journalist - were arrested on charges of espionage. Jason was held for 544 days and convicted of espionage, before finally being released and returning to the United States. We interviewed Jason about the similarities and differences in the two cases and asked him to share a message for Evan Gershkovich.

Journalist Jason Rezaian of ‘The Washington Post' discusses his 544 days in an Iranian prison, what it took to get him out and what he believes should be done to help other journalists who have been wrongfully detained.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evan Gershkovich is based in Moscow for the Wall Street Journal. Most recently, he was writing about how the war in Ukraine is changing Russian society and the shockwaves that conflict is having on the economy. But on March 29th, Russian authorities detained Evan and are holding him in a notorious prison under allegations of espionage. With the parallels to our story in “544 Days,” we want to share this update. Ever since this show was released, Jason Rezaian has been following cases of journalists and other Americans around the world who are being targeted by authoritarian autocratic regimes. You can find that coverage here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jason-rezaian/ This episode originally aired on “The Journal.” You can listen to new episodes every weekday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich went to court in Moscow this week, to request his pre-trial detention be under house arrest, rather than jail. No surprise, he was denied. He's the latest American to be picked up and thrown behind bars by a foreign government – a trend on the rise, according to the James Foley Foundation, and it's breaking families apart. Three Americans detained in Iran are desperate to be freed, so much so, one of them – Siamak Namazi, made the bold decision to call this program from Evin Prison, and plead with President Biden to help free them all. But weeks pass, and there they remain, hostage to the political winds. Siamak's brother Babak has been working tirelessly for years to free him, and so has Tara Tahbaz on behalf of her father, Morad Tahbaz who is also detained there. The two of them spoke to Christiane alongside Jason Rezaian, who was imprisoned in Iran himself, before being released in a 2016 prisoner swap.  Also on today's show: Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director, San Francisco Ballet; Laura Trevelyan, former BBC journalist To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Russia says it will “not tolerate pressure” from the U.S. over detained WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, a Russian senior official has warned. Washington has recently escalated his case, officially designating him as “wrongfully detained” - meaning he is now seen as a hostage. As Bloomberg reports that Putin himself personally approved his detention, there are growing questions on what price the U.S. is willing to pay to free yet another American taken by Russia. And with each exchange, does the risk of incentivizing Russia to claim more hostages grow? We speak with New York Times Moscow correspondent Valerie Hopkins, a good friend of Evan Gershkovich who left Moscow shortly after his arrest, and Jason Rezaian who was wrongly held in Iran on espionage charges while serving as Tehran bureau chief for the Washington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael talks to Washington Post Global Opinions Columnist Jason Rezaian, following comments from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about Rezaian's former colleague, murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Original air date 26 January 2023.

Yeganeh and Jason Rezaian join Ben to answer all of your burning questions about Iran: what life is like for girls and women, why this movement is different than any before it, the risk of civil war or wider conflict, and why we should all care about the future of Iran and its people. Then President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee David Milliband joins to discuss what the IRC is most concerned about in 2023, how to better prevent humanitarian crises and what we can all do to help.

Jason Rezaian, opinion writer at The Washington Post, joins CBS News' Ed O'Keefe to discuss his experience being released nearly seven years ago after being held hostage in Iran for 544 days. Rezaian provides insight into his experience of reintegrating into civilian life and offers advice for Brittney Griner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jason Rezaian, opinion writer at The Washington Post, joins CBS News' Ed O'Keefe to discuss his experience being released nearly seven years ago after being held hostage in Iran for 544 days. Rezaian provides insight into his experience of reintegrating into civilian life and offers advice for Brittney Griner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Every so often over the past quarter-century, analysts have predicted that Iran was on the cusp of major change. They always turned out to be wrong. Now, unrest is engulfing the country yet again.” So writes Jason Rezeian in a recent piece for the Washington Post about the threats the Iranian government is facing, what people are saying - and why this time could be different. For the past three months, Iran has been rocked by protests prompted by the death of a young woman - Mahsa Amini - while in the custody of Iran's “morality police” for the alleged crime of wearing an improper hijab. Images of Amini - bruised and on life support - spread on social media, and her name has become the latest rallying cry in what have been largely women-powered protests against the government's repression and misogyny.It has been estimated by human rights organisations that - over the course of the protests - hundreds have died, thousands have been injured, and yet thousands more detained - upwards of 18,000 people.Rezaian, the global opinions writer for the Washington Post, served as the Post's bureau chief in Tehran from 2012 to mid 2015, before he was arrested and convicted on bogus espionage charges and held in an Iranian prison for a year and half before being released in early 2016 as a part of a prisoner exchange with the United States. Rezaian joins us to discuss the protests, Iran's worsening relations with the West, and what he thinks the future holds for the Islamic republicSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a truly puzzling piece of clickbait, Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian -- who reported from Tehran for the Post until he was taken hostage by Iran for 544 days -- proclaimed he was rooting for Iran to beat the USA in the World Cup soccer tournament....since it would keep the focus on Iran's dismal human-rights record. But Iranian dissidents were rooting for the USA! Plus Nick Fondacaro shares the latest silliness on "The View."

In episode three, season one of In the Public Interest, Partner David Bowker interviewed Jason Rezaian, a columnist and former correspondent in Iran for The Washington Post who was wrongfully charged and convicted by the Iranian government on false claims of espionage. Bowker and WilmerHale represented The Washington Post in a successful effort to secure Rezaian's release from Iran's notorious Evin Prison and later represented Rezaian and his family in litigation culminating in a $180 million judgment against Iran. Since his release from Evin Prison, Rezaian published a book titled Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison and hosted his own podcast detailing the story of his imprisonment in Iran, titled 544 Days.Recent human rights violations and violence against women in Iran have made headlines around the world. Bowker and WilmerHale are currently representing another hostage held in Evin Prison, collaborating with Rezaian as part of that work. Considering these recent events and WilmerHale's ongoing work advocating for hostages and their families, we have re-released the original episode in November 2022.

On this special episode from the Halifax International Security Forum, Olga Stefanishnya, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, discusses what her country needs to prevail against Russian aggression; Latvia's National Security Adviser Jānis Kažociņš on how to think about the threat from Russia and the reality that whoever succeeds Vladimir Putin may well be worse and more dangerous; Supreme Commander of Sweden's Armed Forces Gen. Micael Bydén on preparing his country for NATO membership; and Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian discusses the brutality of Iran's regime as it cracks down on antigovernment demonstrations with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

Protests in Iran continue in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman who died while in police custody after having been detained for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly. Since the protests began in September, HRANA, an Iranian human rights organization, estimates that at least 344 protesters have been killed, and almost 16,000 have been detained.  Last week, in an open letter signed by the vast majority of Iran's members of Parliament, lawmakers called for "no leniency” against protestors.  The letter reads: “We, the representatives of this nation, ask all state officials, including the Judiciary, to treat those, who waged war (against the Islamic establishment) and attacked people's life and property like the Daesh (terrorists), in a way that would serve as a good lesson in the shortest possible time.” And on Monday, an Iranian court court issued the first known death sentence to a protester since the demonstrations began in September. The protester was accused of setting a government building on fire and charged with “war against God” and “corruption on Earth.” We speak with Jason Rezaian, Global Opinions Writer for The Washington Post and former Tehran correspondent for The Washington Post. For full transcript, see above. 

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Mahsa Alimardani, a scholar at the University of Oxford and a senior researcher with Article19. They talk about the recent protests in Iran and how both protestors and the regime have used social media, the cat and mouse game of online access and censorship in Iran, and what Western social media companies can be doing to better moderate their platforms. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Lubna Yousef about the intersection of protest movements and social media around the Middle East. Mahsa Alimardani, Kendra Albert, and Afsaneh Rigot, "Big Tech Should Support the Iranian People, Not the Regime," The New York Times, September 30, 2022. Mahsa Alimardani, "How Instagram is Failing Protestors in Iran," Slate, June 2, 2022. Jon Alterman and Jason Rezaian, "What We Get Wrong About Iran," CSIS, February 1, 2022. Jon Alterman and Karim Sadjadpour, "Iran's Future," CSIS, July 13, 2021. Transcript, "Protest, Social Media, and Censorship in Iran," CSIS, October 18, 2022.

In 2008, Jason Rezaian made a life changing decision to move to Iran and follow his dream of being a foreign correspondent. He fell in love, became a reporter for the Washington Post, and even played host to Anthony Bourdain in the Iran episode of “Parts Unknown.” Then, Jason's life was turned upside down when he was arrested and held hostage in Tehran's notorious Evin prison for 544 days.   At least 40 Americans are currently held captive around the world–not by terrorist groups, but by foreign governments. On today's episode, we hear Jason's story and why he thinks it's essential that the US government and media change the way they talk about American hostages abroad so we can finally bring them home.    Guests:     Jason Rezaian, Washington Post global opinions writer, host of 544 Days and author of Prisoner   Yeganeh Rezaian, senior researcher at the Committee to Protect Journalists   Host:    Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

This is the third week of protests in Iran. Dozens have died and hundreds have been arrested in the demonstrations following the death of a young Iranian woman in police custody. And now the outrage seems to be spreading and tapping into a deep well of grievances. “This is really anger at the entire system for its 43 years of corruption and abuse of power,” said Jason Rezaian, opinion columnist for the Washington Post and author of “Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison.” On the show today, Rezaian explains what’s driving the latest protest movement in Iran, the role of the United States and what may come next. In the News Fix, the Supreme Court started a new term this week and it’s expected to be a doozy. We’ll explain. Plus, get ready for the return of Donald Trump on Twitter. Then, the gif vs. jif debate continues. And, in case you didn’t know, the climate crisis is so bad that the city of Los Angeles hired a chief heat officer. Hear her answer to the Make Me Smart question. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Opinion | To help the next Iran protests, the U.S. should change these policies” from The Washington Post “Iran Protests Underline Economic, Social Pain” from Bloomberg “Musk Proposes to Buy Twitter for Original Price of $54.20 a Share” from Bloomberg “Three Huge Supreme Court Cases That Could Change America” from The New York Times “Watch world’s first all-electric plane soar through test flight” from CNN “Los Angeles Becomes Latest City to Hire ‘Chief Heat Officer'” from Smithsonian Magazine Join us tomorrow for Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday. If you’ve got a question you’d like us to answer, leave us a message at 508-U-B-SMART or makemesmart@marketplace.org.

This is the third week of protests in Iran. Dozens have died and hundreds have been arrested in the demonstrations following the death of a young Iranian woman in police custody. And now the outrage seems to be spreading and tapping into a deep well of grievances. “This is really anger at the entire system for its 43 years of corruption and abuse of power,” said Jason Rezaian, opinion columnist for the Washington Post and author of “Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison.” On the show today, Rezaian explains what’s driving the latest protest movement in Iran, the role of the United States and what may come next. In the News Fix, the Supreme Court started a new term this week and it’s expected to be a doozy. We’ll explain. Plus, get ready for the return of Donald Trump on Twitter. Then, the gif vs. jif debate continues. And, in case you didn’t know, the climate crisis is so bad that the city of Los Angeles hired a chief heat officer. Hear her answer to the Make Me Smart question. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Opinion | To help the next Iran protests, the U.S. should change these policies” from The Washington Post “Iran Protests Underline Economic, Social Pain” from Bloomberg “Musk Proposes to Buy Twitter for Original Price of $54.20 a Share” from Bloomberg “Three Huge Supreme Court Cases That Could Change America” from The New York Times “Watch world’s first all-electric plane soar through test flight” from CNN “Los Angeles Becomes Latest City to Hire ‘Chief Heat Officer'” from Smithsonian Magazine Join us tomorrow for Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday. If you’ve got a question you’d like us to answer, leave us a message at 508-U-B-SMART or makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Washington Post global opinions writer Jason Rezaian speaks with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman for a conversation about wrongful detentions around the world and efforts to bring American hostages home. Conversation recorded on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022.

What we know about the often clandestine operation of how countries trade prisoners, and what that means for WNBA star Brittney Griner. And Jason Rezaian weighs the U.S. response to hostage-taking by hostile governments. Read more:With the sentencing of Brittney Griner last week, the clock started ticking on potential U.S. negotiations with Russia to secure the release of the WNBA star and another American, security consultant Paul Whelan. But how do prisoner swaps actually work? What are the considerations both countries have to weigh before agreeing? And what happens after a deal is made? Senior national security correspondent Karen DeYoung breaks down the ins and outs of prisoner swaps. Also, Post Opinions writer Jason Rezaian – who was released as part of a prisoner swap after spending 544 days in an Iranian prison – talks about the growing problem of Americans being taken hostage by hostile governments and what to expect in the Griner case. “I'm asked often if I'm for or against these kinds of exchanges,” he said. “My answer is, that's not the right question. The right question is … ‘What are we doing to deter hostage-taking in the first place?'”

How high school students across the country are fighting for their right to read. Plus, what the Golden State Warriors represent off the basketball court.Read more:A few months ago, education reporter Hannah Natanson sat in on the meeting of an unusual book club at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Tex. – one in which students read exclusively books banned by their school district, and think deeply about the aspects of the world that'll remain hidden to them if grown-ups keep banning books. Then, we hear from Washington Post global opinions writer Jason Rezaian on the NBA's Golden State Warriors, their outspoken coach Steve Kerr, and why Jason thinks the Warriors should now be considered “America's team.”

Today's episode begins with Christiane's exclusive interview with Vladimir Putin's chief spokesman Dmitri Peskov, who concedes that Russia has yet to achieve any of its military goals in Ukraine and refuses to deny that Moscow could resort to the use of nuclear weapons. Also on the show: Christo Grozen, the executive director and lead Russia investigator of Bellingcat, an open source investigative organization; and Washington Post Global Opinions writer Jason Rezaian, who once spent 544 days unjustly imprisoned in Iran.  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Amid the U.S.-Russia conflict, there's mounting concern about the detention of American Brittney Griner, a professional women's basketball star who plays in Russia and has been held there since February. Many are now asking if she's a political prisoner. Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian, who was unjustly imprisoned in Iran for 544 days before his 2016 release, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Today on Post Reports, we talk to our colleague Jason Rezaian about WNBA star Brittney Griner's detention in Russia. Rezaian, who was unjustly held in Iran for 544 days, fears that Griner is being held as a geopolitical bargaining chip. Read more:Post opinions writer Jason Rezaian is very concerned about Brittney Griner. When he heard of her arrest, he says, his first thought was, “This sounds a lot like what happened to me.” Rezaian was arrested in 2014, and his case became a bargaining chip in nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran.Given the timing of Griner's arrest, Rezaian says it could be tied to sanctions from the United States in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His opinions, he says, are informed by a new reality: More Americans are being wrongfully detained abroad, especially in moments of tension or conflict.Watch The Post's short documentary “Bring Them Home,” an intimate look at one family in this situation.

It's been nearly a month now since WNBA star Brittney Griner was detained in Russia. Russian authorities only announced Griner's detention earlier this month, two weeks after arresting her, after allegedly finding hash oil in one of her bags at an airport in Moscow. She could face ten to twenty years in prison under Russian law. Griner has been playing in Russia since 2014 in order to supplement her WNBA income. Financial opportunities in the U.S. for WNBA players are often much less lucrative than those available to their NBA counterparts.  Relatively scarce details have emerged since news of Griner's detention became public, in part due to her family's desire to maintain privacy for the sake of her protection. But her detention is concerning for several reasons. Amid Russia's violent invasion of Ukraine, and the United States' subsequent sanctions, diplomatic relations between the two nations are particularly fraught.  But while Brittney Griner is the most high profile American citizen currently detained in Russia, the state department has been working for several years on the release of two other Americans being held in Russian prisons. And in addition to the complications that come with the detention of any American in an autocratic nation, there's also the fact that Griner is a Black, openly queer woman in a country that is hostile to LGBTQ rights. The Takeaway turns to someone who knows firsthand what it's like being unjustly detained abroad. Jason Rezaian is a global opinions writer at the Washington Post, host of the Spotify Original Podcast 544 Days, and executive producer of the documentary Bring Them Home.