Four U.S. senators have called for giving Rubio priority in pursuing “the release of Reza Vali‌zadeh.”

🔸Four Democratic and Republican senators of the United States, in a letter addressed to Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, asked him to “pursue the release” of Reza Vali‌zadeh, an Iranian-American citizen and former journalist at Radio Farda, who is in custody of the Islamic Republic, “with special priority.”

🔸Brian Schatz and Jacky Rosen, Democratic senators from Hawaii and Nevada, and Marsha Blackburn and David McCormick, Republican senators from Tennessee and Pennsylvania, were the signatories of the letter, which was published on Tuesday, September 21 (31 Shahrivar), coinciding with the second anniversary of Reza Vali‌zadeh’s imprisonment.

🔸In the letter, the four senators wrote: “We want Reza Vali‌zadeh’s freedom and suitable conditions to be pursued through all available diplomatic channels with Iranian officials.”

🔸Reza Vali‌zadeh has been imprisoned in Iran for two years and is serving his 10-year sentence. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “collaboration with a hostile state.” The U.S. State Department, while condemning the detention of the journalist, called the action “wrong and unfair.”

🔸Reza Vali‌zadeh collaborated with Radio Farda for 10 years. According to these four senators, his U.S. citizenship and his collaboration with Radio Farda led to his conviction.

🔸Radio Farda is a part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which operates with funding approved by the U.S. Congress and under the oversight of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). However, the outlet is independent from the standpoint of journalism, and neither the U.S. Congress nor the U.S. government has any involvement in its editorial decision-making.

🔸According to the senators who signed the letter, Reza Vali‌zadeh’s health during his detention in Evin prison in Tehran has been “significantly” damaged, and Iranian officials have also denied him medical facilities, including asthma medications.

🔸Read the full text of this report on the Radio Farda website.