AFPC-USA Calls for Release of Former Journalist Reza Valizadeh from Iranian Detention

The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) has issued a statement responding to the wrongful detainment of former journalist Reza Valizadeh, who previously worked for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty’s Persian-language service.

After leaving Iran in 2009, Valizadeh returned to the country in March 2024 to visit his elderly parents after receiving assurances of safe passage from a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Despite those guarantees, he was arrested by the IRGC six months later, in September 2024.

Since his detention, Valizadeh has reportedly been subjected to repeated interrogations and prolonged periods of solitary confinement. He was later sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of "collaboration with a hostile government," following proceedings that advocates say lacked due process. Human rights groups have noted that such charges are frequently used by Iranian authorities against dual nationals and government critics.

The full statement is below.

The AFPC-USA is deeply concerned about the wellbeing of Reza Valizadeh, a dual US-Iranian citizen and former journalist for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty’s Persian-language service.

 He has been held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison since 2024, after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of “collaboration with a hostile government”. At the time of his arrest, he was visiting Iran for the first time in 15 years to see his elderly parents.

 Secretary of State Marco Rubio this year designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, and the State Department has designated Valizadeh as being wrongfully detained.

 Earlier this month, CBS News obtained a voice memo in which Valizadeh describes conditions in captivity and says he has been “deprived from real medical services”. His health is deteriorating.

 The Trump administration, which says it is committed to securing the release of all Americans unjustly detained in Iran and around the world, now has an opportunity to apply its leverage on Iran during current negotiations to ensure Valizadeh and all wrongfully detained prisoners are expeditiously released. 

 AFPC-USA also calls on Iranian authorities to release Valizadeh without delay.