Of the Big Three evening newscasts last night, only the CBS Evening News devoted a brief story to the close of the show trial of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Both NBC's Nightly News and ABC's World News Tonight failed to even mention the development.
CBS
CBS Evening News
August 10, 2015; 6:40 p.m. Eastern; 1 minutes, 33 secondsSCOTT PELLEY: Pelley: In Iran, the trial of an American journalist is coming to a close. Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post has been held there for more than a year. He testified today at what was supposed to be a final hearing. And Margaret Brennan is following this.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Thirty-nine-year-old Jason Rezaian faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on multiple charges, including espionage. Today in Tehran, his mother said his year behind bars has taken a toll.
MOTHER: He is very tired. He is very isolated. They don't have him with other people that he can speak with, the same languages.
BRENNAN: Rezaian's lawyer expects a verdict within a week, but so far nothing about this case is typical. Iran's Revolutionary Court held just four secret hearings and simply ignored a mandatory July release date.
In a statement, Washington Post editor Marty Baron said Rezaian is innocent and called the trial "A sick brew of farce and tragedy." Ali Rezaian has spent months lobbying for his brother's release.
If your brother is convicted, what do you do then?
ALI REZAIAN: I think we move immediately for an appeal. We know that he's innocent and we know that there's no evidence against him, so we have to believe that that's going to, the truth's going to win out.
BRENNAN: Secretary of State John Kerry says that right before they announced that landmark nuclear deal, his final words to his Iranian counterpart were a plea to release Jason Rezaian. And, Scott, U.S officialis say they continue to make the case for three other Americans imprisoned or missing in Iran.
