The New Yorker Radio Hour
Episode: Jason Rezaian on Imprisonment in Iran
Host: David Remnick
Date: January 25, 2019

Overview

This episode features a powerful conversation between David Remnick and Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post journalist who was detained in Iran for 544 days. Rezaian discusses his memoir "Prisoner," reflecting on his journey to journalism in Iran, the circumstances surrounding his arrest, the conditions of his imprisonment, the psychological struggles of solitary confinement, and the international context impacting his fate. The interview delves deeply into the personal, political, and existential ramifications of Rezaian’s ordeal, highlighting both the absurdity and brutality encountered, and offering insights into post-imprisonment life and ongoing U.S.-Iran relations.

Jason Rezaian’s Path to Journalism in Iran

[00:37–04:19]

• Career Beginnings:
  • Rezaian relates his upbringing as the child of Iranian immigrants involved in the Persian rug trade in California, his temporary foray into running a rug shop, and his decision to move to Tehran during the 2008 financial crisis.
  • Memorable Quote:

    "I opened the doors... in May of 2008. And by October 2008, I thought to myself, I may never sell another rug because nobody's got any money in their pockets anymore." (01:42)

• Transition to Journalism:
  • He began freelancing in Iran at the time of President Ahmadinejad's contentious 2009 reelection, with one of his articles picked up by The New York Times, launching his full-time journalism career.
• Joining The Washington Post:
  • After three years freelancing, the Post sought Rezaian to head its Tehran bureau—a one-person operation at the time.
• Personal Note:
  • He met his wife, Yeganeh ("Yegi"), in Iran; she became a journalist herself and Bloomberg’s Tehran correspondent.

Life as a Foreign Correspondent in Tehran

[05:02–07:25]

• Isolation and Surveillance:
  • Rezaian was the sole American journalist actively working in Tehran by 2014.
  • He describes assumptions of monitored apartments, phone calls, emails, and occasional in-person surveillance:

    "You assume that your apartment is probably bugged... What I didn't assume at the time... was that your emails are being monitored." (05:28)

• Political Climate:
  • Tense nuclear negotiations between Iran and global powers marked the period, with optimism for a diplomatic breakthrough.

Arrest and the Shocking Turn of Events

[07:32–14:47]

• The Day of Arrest:
  • Rezaian and Yegi were preparing for a trip to the U.S. when a phishing email, account hacks, and a supposed extortion threat targeted them. That evening, plainclothes security officers stormed their apartment, ransacked it, and took both into custody.
  • Memorable Sequence:

    "The door opens and there's a man standing there with a gun pointing right at me in my face." (10:35)

• Interrogation Begins:
  • At Evin Prison, Rezaian was accused of leading the CIA station in Tehran, launching his ordeal.
  • Double Disadvantage of Dual Citizenship:

    "When you get arrested. It's a big disadvantage because... they don't acknowledge your citizenship, meaning that you're subject to Iranian laws. And this is... an Iranian internal matter." (15:04)

The Prison Experience

[14:47–27:10]

• Solitary Confinement:
  • Rezaian spent 49 nights in solitary; Yegi, 72 nights.
  • Evin Prison described as notoriously brutal and divided among different factions of Iranian power.
• The Interrogator—Kazem:
  • Kazem, the main interrogator—a figure at once absurd and menacing—used a mix of psychological manipulation, threats, and surreal accusations:

    "Because you're the chief of the CIA station in Tehran. And that's when our nightmare really began." (14:12)

• Absurdity of Evidence:
  • Even an innocent avocado Kickstarter project was interpreted as espionage code:

    "You must tell me about the avocado. This is code. We know that. But for what?" (17:33)

• Conditions in Solitary:
  • An 8 by 4 cell, blanket on the floor, lights on 24/7, little food as punishment.
  • Quote:

    "They told me that... the great judge had decided I needed to lose some weight. And it worked?" (24:55)

• Psychological Toll:
  • The passage of time, relentless interrogations, oscillating threats, and isolation fueled alternating hope and despair.

    "Time is your worst enemy... you don't have anything to fill it with." (23:38)

Shifting Dynamics, Trial, and Outside Support

[27:10–33:04]

• Visits and Communication:
  • Yegi’s visits provided covert updates about international pressure—using code names (“Uncle John” for John Kerry, “Jay Z” for Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif).
• Understanding His Captivity:
  • Rezaian eventually realized his detention was a pawn in Iran’s internal power struggle during negotiations.
• International Campaign:
  • The Washington Post and the journalistic community mounted persistent campaigns for his release.

    "Did you worry about getting forgotten?... 100%. I mean, it's still the thing when I have nightmares." (31:39)

• Reflections on the "Trial":
  • Rezaian refused to plead guilty, aware he had a greater responsibility to the truth and his supporters.

    "You're not going to come home as the guy that pled guilty in the Revolutionary Court, you're going to stand tall and you didn't do anything wrong." (32:31)

• Books in Prison:
  • He found more comfort in reading about political repression and suffering (Animal Farm, Gulag Archipelago) than “feel-good” titles.

Release, Reflection, and Life After Prison

[35:21–43:47]

• Release and Aftermath:
  • Rezaian likens his imprisonment to being caught in a “geopolitical hurricane.”
  • He did not find writing about his experience cathartic but saw meaning in drawing a narrative from trauma:

    "I've just tried to be really honest about it...turn this crappy thing that happened to me into a story that I hope has meaning for the people that read it." (36:45)

• On Anger and Moving Forward:
  • While angry, he chooses to channel those feelings into constructive storytelling rather than bitterness.
• Politics and U.S.-Iran Relations:
  • He critiques the Trump administration’s lack of coherent Iran policy:

    "I think that they've basically thrown all of those notes in the fire and are shooting from the hip..." (39:13)

• On the Iranian Regime:
  • Rezaian is clear-eyed about the regime's unpopularity among Iranians and the limitations of theocratic government:

    "Theocracy's destiny was figured out a long time ago. It doesn't really have a place in the future of our world." (40:27)

• Adjusting to Freedom and Trauma:
  • He reflects candidly on continued psychological after-effects—confusion, irritability, nightmares—with self-awareness and acceptance.

    "I'm becoming more and more aware that there are workings of my brain that probably won't go back to what they were before all this. And I'm getting more comfortable with that." (43:30)

Looking to the Future

[44:10–44:27]

• New Beginnings:
  • When asked what he hopes for the next chapter, Rezaian says:

    "I want for Yegi and me to continue working, continue writing, but to be known for the things that we do moving forward and not for the things that were done to us." (44:10)

Notable Quotes

• On becoming a journalist in Iran:

  "So I opened my own rug shop ... And by October 2008, I thought to myself, I may never sell another rug because nobody's got any money in their pockets anymore." – Jason Rezaian (01:41)

• On his arrest:

  "The door opens and there's a man standing there with a gun pointing right at me in my face." – Jason Rezaian (10:35)

• On dual citizenship:

  "When you get arrested. It's a big disadvantage because... they don't acknowledge your citizenship, meaning that you're subject to Iranian laws." (15:04)

• On the absurd avocado accusations:

  "You must tell me about the avocado. This is code. We know that. But for what?" (17:33)

• On surviving trauma:

  "I want for Yegi and me to continue working, continue writing, but to be known for the things that we do moving forward and not for the things that were done to us." (44:10)

Timeline of Key Segments

• Career & Move to Iran: 00:37–04:19
• Life as a Correspondent: 05:02–07:25
• Arrest Event: 07:32–14:47
• Prison Experience: 14:47–27:10
• Changing Dynamics, Trial, Books: 27:10–33:07
• Reflections & International Context: 35:21–44:10
• Looking Forward: 44:10–44:27

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is rich with irony, humor, resilience, and lucidity. Despite the gravity of his ordeal, Rezaian narrates with candor and warmth—finding meaning in suffering, exposing the absurdities of authoritarian paranoia, and emphasizing the healing power of truth-telling. His story stands as a testament to endurance and the ongoing fight for press freedom and human dignity, yet is never devoid of humanity and hope for the future.