The Washington Post's executive editor said Tuesday that the newspaper's Iranian correspondent, jailed in Tehran on unspecified charges, was being denied acceptable legal representation.
Martin Baron said that Jason Rezaian, who was arrested last July, had been allowed only one meeting with a lawyer and that they were not allowed to discuss the charges against him.
"The idea that Jason, or anyone, could be allowed only one hour with a lawyer before standing trial on serious charges is simply appalling," Baron said.
Rezaian holds both U.S. and Iranian citizenship, but Iran does not recognize dual nationality for its citizens.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif gave no information about Rezaian's case during a visit to Madrid on Tuesday, except to say it was a judicial matter and that the charges might be very serious.
Iran's Fars news agency, which is regarded as pro-hard-liner, said this week that Rezaian, 39, was suspected of spying.
Rezaian, the Post's correspondent in Iran since 2012, was arrested July 22 along with his Iranian wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who is a reporter for The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi, and two other journalists whose names have not been made public. All but Rezaian have since been released.
U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Iran to release Rezaian and other Americans jailed in Iran, including during talks on the sidelines of negotiations about the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
Some information for this report came from AP.
