Two weeks after Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian was arrested in Iran, there are still few details about why the correspondent has been detained or when he will be released. Recent updates about his case are concerning.
Rezaian, the paper's correspondent in Tehran, was arrested last month, along with his wife and two others. One of the four has been released, but the other three — who are all journalists — are still in custody.
Now, the New York Times has reported that Rezaian told his colleagues he knew he was being watched. "A man on a motorcycle" had been conspicuously "following him and his wife for weeks," according to the newspaper.
Al Monitor also reported on Wednesday that Iran's conservative media is accusing Rezaian of spying and working on behalf of the National Iranian American Council in Washington, D.C.
"While the accusations in the articles against Rezaian appear far-fetched, they are a worrying sign that the cases could be used to further a domestic political issue," the website read.
Iran is a notoriously risky country for journalists to work in — something that Rezaian spoke about before, in comments highlighted by the Times. It is the world's second leading jailer of journalists, by the Committee To Protect Journalists' count, and as of 2013, there were reportedly 35 other journalists imprisoned there.
Meanwhile, Post editor Marty Baron told the Times in a statement that the newspaper has not received any information about the whereabouts or condition of Rezaian and the other detainees. The U.S. State Department called on Iran to release the journalists last week.