Reza Valizadeh

Reza Valizadeh

Iranian-American Former Journalist

Reza Valizadeh is an Iranian-American and former journalist for Voice of America’s (VOA) Persian-language Radio Farda. He left Radio Farda in 2022 and freelanced for multiple Farsi-language outlets. Valizadeh has also reported for Radio France and the VOA Persian. He lived in the West for well over a decade before his return to Iran in 2024.

Valizadeh traveled to Iran in March 2024 to visit relatives. He posted on X in February that the Iranian regime had previously summoned his father, elder brother, and other family members and pressured his father to get Reza to return. Valizadeh then posted on X in August 2024 that prior to his return, he had engaged in “half-completed” negotiations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization, but had finally chosen to return without assurances from the IRGC. 

Arrest

According to VOA, Valizadeh was reportedly arrested in September 2024 and charged with “collaborating with overseas-based Persian media.” 

Treatment in Captivity

Since his arrest, Valizadeh has been detained in Tehran’s notoriously brutal Evin Prison without access to a lawyer, according to claims in October 2024 by the groups Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Pending Trial

Valizadeh’s case is reportedly set for trial in front of Judge Abolqasem Salavati of Branch 15 of Iran’s Revolutionary Courts. Salavati is known as the “Judge of Death” and the “Hanging Judge” for imposing harsh sentences, particularly on political prisoners.

International Reaction

The U.S. Department of State told VOA in October 2024 that it was “aware of reports that a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen has been arrested in Iran.” A department spokesperson stated, “We are working with our Swiss partners who serve as the protecting power for the United States in Iran to gather more information about this case . . . Iran routinely imprisons U.S. citizens and other countries' citizens unjustly for political purposes. This practice is cruel and contrary to international law.”

HRAI Deputy Director Skylar Thompson commented to VOA that State “must utilize all available diplomatic channels to investigate Valizadeh's detention and ensure his immediate, unhindered access to legal counsel.”

CPJ program coordinator Yeganeh Rezaian said in statement that “Iranian authorities must immediately release journalist Reza Valizadeh and drop any charges levied against him. Iranian journalists working and living abroad should be free to visit their homeland without fear of prosecution for their profession.”  

View All Hostages