Reza Valizadeh

Reza Valizadeh

Iranian-American Former Journalist

Biography

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 VOA Persian. He lived in the West for well over a decade before his return to Iran in 2024.  Prior to emigrating from Iran, he was arrested by the regime in 2007 but released on bail later.

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 and Charges

According to VOA, Valizadeh was reportedly arrested in September 2024 and charged with “collaborating with overseas-based Persian media.” The charge was later changed to “collaborating with a hostile government.” VOA cited sources claiming that Valizadeh was arrested for not cooperating with the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization and Iran’s intelligence ministry and for not expressing regret for his journalism.

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). He was reportedly in isolation in Evin’s Ward 209, which is controlled by Iran’s intelligence ministry. Valizadeh has not been allowed visits with his family. As of June 2025, Valizadeh is reportedly held in Ward 8, which, according to IranWire’s sources, “has poor sanitary and environmental conditions and pest infestations, including bedbugs.”

Trial, Sentencing, and Appeal

Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court presided over Valizadeh’s trial. The trial took place on November 20 and December 7, 2024, and reportedly the judge assumed the role of prosecutor. Later in December, Judge Afshari sentenced Valizadeh to 10 years’ imprisonment. The court also prohibited Valizadeh from living in Tehran or nearby provinces for two years after the end of his prison sentence, from leaving Iran, or from becoming a member of social or political groups.

Valizadeh’s attorney, Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, said in a media interview, “This was a heavy sentence in my opinion based on an incorrect charge. In the past, working for media outlets like Voice of America had been viewed [by Iranian courts] as engaging in propaganda against [Iran’s Islamist ruling] system, but [the charge for this activity] recently changed into cooperating with a hostile government.”

The Tehran Court of Appeals denied Valizadeh’s appeal in January 2025.

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.”

The State Department condemned Valizadeh’s 10-year prison sentence on December 17, 2024, telling Radio Farda, “We strongly condemn this sentencing and call for his immediate release and the release of all political prisoners in Iran.”

The CEO of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Stephen Capus decried Valizadeh’s prosecution and sentencing and called for his release. “Time and again, the Iranian regime has attempted to spread its malign influence around the world, trampling on human rights at every opportunity,” Capus said. “Clearly, this regime feels threatened by the forces of freedom, including independent journalism.”

CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah said in June 2025 that “[CPJ] condemns the Iranian authorities’ confiscation of Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh’s identity documents, which is part of a broader pattern of using asset confiscation to punish and silence dissenting voices. Targeting imprisoned journalists in this way is meant to further isolate them and intimidate others. Iranian authorities must return Valizadeh’s documents without delay and end the use of asset confiscation as a tool of repression against independent journalism.”

The general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, Anthony Bellanger, stated in June 2025 that “[Valizadeh’s sentence] is not only a disproportionate sentence, but also a completely unjust one. The Iranian government must end the prosecution of journalists and critical voices and stop the systematic violation of prisoners’ rights. We demand the immediate release of Reza Valizadeh and all other imprisoned journalists.”

Valizadeh’s Criticism of the State Department

In January 2025, Valizadeh criticized the U.S. Department of State for its “lack of effective action,” stating in a phone message from prison that the Biden administration had not acted effectively to secure his freedom.

In a phone message from Evin Prison shared with Iran International, he said that after the Biden State Department issued a statement saying his arrest and conviction by the Islamic Republic was unlawful, it took no effective measures to win his release.

Hunger Strikes

Valizadeh carried out a six-day hunger strike in March 2025 in conjunction with his mother, in protest of what he described as his “sham trial.” He ended the strike due to his mother’s deteriorating health and because his own health had worsened. 

Valizadeh began a second hunger strike on June 7, 2025, in response to the regime’s seizure of his vital documents, such as his birth certificate and ID card. CPJ said Valizadeh needed the documents “to manage his legal affairs and protect his assets abroad.” Iran International reported that without his documents, Valizadeh was unable to arrange for payments on his home, leading to its confiscation.

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