Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh has spent more than a year imprisoned in Iran, enduring severe psychological torment and relentless interrogations for the simple fact that he is a journalist. Initially detained in Tehran’s Evin Prison, his already dire situation deteriorated significantly after a devastating Israeli attack on the facility. Valizadeh was transferred to the dangerously overcrowded and medically inadequate Fashafouyeh Prison, where extreme neglect and inhumane conditions severely affected his health. On August 9, 2025, he was transferred back to Evin.
Valizadeh began his independent journalism career more than two decades ago in Iran, where he was arrested in 2007 for a blog post criticizing then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s security team. He was later forced to flee the country during the 2009 Green Movement, which arose in reaction to what many believed were fraudulent election results. After receiving asylum in France in 2009, Valizadeh spent over a decade working with prominent Persian-language media outlets such as Persian RFI and Radio Farda, the Persian arm of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
The U.S. State Department told CPJ that the Trump administration is “closely tracking Mr. Valizadeh’s case” and that it calls on Iran “to immediately release Mr. Valizadeh and all unjustly detained individuals in Iran.” The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not reply to an emailed request for comment.
According to CPJ research, at least 16 journalists were imprisoned in Iran in 2024 for their work and at least 96 journalists have been arrested by the regime since Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s death in September 2022. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, died in custody after morality police detained her for allegedly wearing her headscarf “improperly.” She fell into a coma after allegedly being beaten by police; she later died of her injuries.
CPJ spoke to Reza Valizadeh’s Iran-based brother, Mohammadreza Valizadeh, by phone about the journalist’s life in prison and the ongoing efforts to free him.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you describe what happened to your brother during Israel’s attack on Evin Prison and its immediate aftermath?
On June 25, the date of the Israeli attack on Evin Prison, my brother, who suffers from asthma and lung issues, was returning to his cell after a medical checkup. Minutes later, a massive explosion shattered the clinic, causing widespread injury with glass and metal fragments, severely harming many inmates. Despite the thick smoke, debris, and chaos, Reza managed to help injured prisoners find breathable spaces. He called me amid the screams of terrified inmates, convinced more attacks were imminent.
Political prisoners, including Reza’s cellmate [human rights activist] Reza Khandan, vowed to stay together to support one another. After another explosion and fire from guards with stun rounds and smoke grenades, prisoners hovered between life and death. The fear, helplessness, and violence of that day remain etched in our memories.
Fashafouyeh Prison — where [Evin prisoners] have been transferred — initially built for violent criminals, was utterly unprepared for the arrival of [thousands of] political prisoners. My brother described severe overcrowding, with inmates forced to sleep packed tightly together on the floor, their faces near one another’s feet.
Hygiene is catastrophic — tap water too polluted to drink, insufficient toilets in appalling condition, and showers reduced to dripping pipes with hours-long lines. The prison faces immediate shortages of necessities like bottled water, soap, and medication. Food is contaminated, often mixed with grit or pebbles, forcing prisoners to meticulously inspect meals to avoid injury. The environment itself — the prison is near a landfill frequently on fire – make conditions intolerable.
Reza suffers from asthma, and his asthma has deteriorated dramatically due to exposure to toxic smoke from explosions, dust, and polluted air during the traumatic transfer.
What challenges has Reza faced in accessing legal counsel and managing his personal affairs since his imprisonment?
Even when Reza was held in Evin, communicating with his lawyer was difficult; following his transfer to Fashafouyeh Prison, it has become nearly impossible. Under Iranian law, once a prisoner’s sentence is finalized by the appeals court and a retrial is denied by the Supreme Court, they are entitled to have their personal documents – including passport, birth certificate, and national ID — returned, enabling them to grant power of attorney and manage their financial affairs. Yet, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Intelligence Protection Office is withholding these critical documents.
How has Reza’s trial violated standards of fairness and due process?
Reza’s trial at the Revolutionary Court was marked by multiple violations of his right to a fair trial. During the first session, only the indictment was read, and his lawyer was prevented from mounting a defense. The second session lasted less than 40 minutes, during which the judge did not allow questioning or defense arguments.
Ultimately, Reza was sentenced to 10 years on charges of “collaboration with a hostile government, the United States,” stemming solely from his journalistic work at Radio Farda. This sentence was issued without substantive evidence or due legal process, clearly violating internationally recognized standards for a fair trial.
What specifically makes the Iranian regime’s charge against your brother – labeling his journalistic activities at Radio Farda as “collaboration with a hostile government” — deeply unjust, in your opinion?
My brother’s sole “crime” was his dedicated journalism at Radio Farda. Yet, Iranian authorities maliciously reinterpreted his media activities as “collaboration with a hostile government.” His conviction essentially criminalizes journalism.
How did the IRGC lure your brother back to Iran and what were the severe consequences of his return?
The IRGC orchestrated a complex and deeply manipulative plot specifically designed to lure Persian-language journalists in exile back to Iran, exploiting familial bonds, loneliness, and professional frustration. After my brother resigned from Radio Farda in Prague, an old colleague (who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons) maintained regular contact with him over a period of 18 months. This individual repeatedly assured my brother that their influential uncle, a deputy for operations at the Armed Forces General Staff, could guarantee a safe return to Iran for a temporary family visit. They promised that there would be no risk of arrest or harm. Trusting these assurances and longing to reunite with our elderly parents after years of separation, my brother eventually agreed to return.
Yet, immediately upon arrival in Iran, he was arrested and subjected to grueling months of interrogation and solitary confinement. Interrogators pressured him relentlessly, demanding sensitive information about foreign Persian-language media and colleagues. This tragic and ruthless deception underscores the extreme danger journalists face, and the lengths to which Iranian security forces go to silence and punish dissent.
Despite relentless pressure from Iranian authorities to collaborate, Reza courageously resisted, choosing a 10-year prison sentence over betraying his ethical principles.
Given the severity of your brother’s case, have diplomatic efforts by the U.S. government or advocacy from international organizations resulted in meaningful support or progress?
The Biden administration’s State Department issued two official statements condemning my brother’s arrest as “arbitrary and contrary to international law,” explicitly demanding his immediate release. Despite these strong public statements, no tangible diplomatic measures followed. Additionally, human rights organizations and professional groups like CPJ have consistently raised awareness and condemned the sentence. However, these valuable yet ultimately symbolic gestures have not exerted real, effective pressure on Tehran. Our family has reached out repeatedly to the U.S. State Department’s Iran desk and requested a consular visit through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran but received no response or meaningful action.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Asal Abasian.