Iran sentences Washington Post reporter to jail, term unspecified

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian speaks in the newspaper's offices in Washington DC in a Nov 6, 2013 file photo provided by The Washington Post. [Photo/Agencies]

TEHRAN - An Iranian court sentenced on Sunday a Washington Post reporter, Jason Rezaian, to unspecified prison term, according to Iranian Judiciary spokesman, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.

Rezaian was previously detained in Iran in 2014, charged with espionage related to Iran's nuclear program and dissemination of false information.

"Rezaian's verdict has yet to be officially relayed to him and his lawyer. I am not at liberty to divulge verdict details, however, he received a prison sentence. Still, the verdict is not final," Mohseni-Ejei was quoted as saying by the semi-official Iranian Student's News Agency (ISNA).

On Oct 11, Mohseni-Ejei announced that Iran had issued the verdict against Rezaian, adding that he had 20 days to appeal his verdict.

The 39-year-old Iranian-American has been working as a Washington Post correspondent since 2012.

Rezaian was arrested along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, a reporter for the Abu Dhabi-based National newspaper, along with two Iranian-American freelance photojournalists, on July 22, 2014.

The photographers were later released, with Salehi freed on bail two months later.