Iranian authorities have, for the second time since the arrest of Reza Valizadeh, refused to provide a clear statement regarding the fate of this Iranian-American journalist.
On November 11, 2024, during a press conference, Ismail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to a question from a CBS reporter about the fate of the detained Iranian-American journalist without naming Reza Valizadeh. He said, “We have seen news that an Iranian national has been arrested. He is an Iranian national. I am not aware of any other nationality. We are in contact with the relevant authorities to see what the situation is.”
The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry evaded giving a clear answer about Reza Valizadeh’s fate, even though last week, Asghar Jahangir, the spokesperson of the judiciary, also expressed his lack of knowledge about the status of this Iranian-American journalist.
Reza Valizadeh is a former journalist for the Persian section of Radio Free Europe (Radio Farda), who was detained by the Iranian security agencies after returning to Iran. Radio Farda previously confirmed the news of Valizadeh’s arrest and reported that he ended his collaboration with the media outlet in November 2022. After a period of continued stay outside Iran, he returned to the country and was ultimately arrested by Iranian security agencies.
According to a source identified by Radio Farda as “one of Reza Valizadeh’s acquaintances,” this journalist “faces charges including collaboration with Persian-language media outside the country.”
Details regarding the reasons for Reza Valizadeh’s return to Iran remain unclear. However, in his last tweet on the platform X, he stated: “I entered Tehran on March 6, 2024. Before that, I had incomplete negotiations with the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC. Ultimately, I returned to my country after 14 years at my own risk and without even a verbal guarantee.”
It remains uncertain under what circumstances this tweet was posted, especially since in another tweet on Mr. Valizadeh’s account, he referenced security pressures on family members and relatives to compel him to return to Iran: “My older brother was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran. My father and even distant relatives were summoned to the Intelligence Office in Kurdistan. They approached our neighbor to inquire about my mother’s condition to assess the situation before potentially entering the house. My family has been pressured to convince me to return.”