|
 Rezaian, the Post's bureau chief in Tehran, was detained last year
in Iran. Among the charges, he is accused of "collaborating with
hostile governments" and "propaganda against the establishment,"
according to a statement from Rezaian's attorney, Leilah Ahsan, the
Post reported.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 to 20 years in prison,
Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said in a separate
statement.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the reported charges.
Ahsan said the indictment alleged Rezaian had collected information
"about internal and foreign policy" and gave it to "individuals with
hostile intent," according to the Post, which said it obtained the
lawyer's statement from Rezaian's family. He is also accused of
collecting classified information, it reported.
The Post said Ahsan is the only individual outside of Iran's
judiciary to have read the indictment.
Rezaian, an Iranian-American dual citizen from Marin County,
California, had been the Washington Post's bureau chief in Tehran
since 2012, according to the newspaper.
He was detained about nine months ago on what U.S. President Barack
Obama has called "vague charges." Obama, who is in the process of
negotiating a tricky nuclear deal with Iran, last month called on
Iran to immediately release detained Americans there, including
Rezaian.
In the indictment, Iranian authorities said Rezaian had written to
Obama and called it an example of contacting a "hostile government,"
the Washington Post said.
The White House and the U.S. State Department said they had no
official confirmation of any charges against Rezaian.
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State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said it would be "patently
absurd" if reports of espionage charges against him were true.
Other outlets, including Agence France-Press and Iran's
semi-official Tasnim news agency, also reported on the indictment,
citing the lawyer.
Washington Post's Baron, in his statement, said: "The grave charges
against Jason that Iran has now disclosed could not be more
ludicrous."
He said, "It is absurd and despicable to assert, as Iran’s judiciary
is now claiming, that Jason’s work first as a freelance reporter and
then as The Post’s Tehran correspondent amounted to espionage or
otherwise posed any threat to Iranian national security."
(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Arshad Mohammed and Bill Trott in
Washington, and Sam Wilkin in Dubai; Editing by Emily Stephenson and
Ted Botha)
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