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  • Comment: If I were judging this as a biography I would suggest that WP:BLP1E applies. However, I think the real article is Detention of Reza Valizadeh which seems to me to be notable.
    This is worth discussing at WP:TEAHOUSE, or at WP:AFCHD (not at both please). It will involve re-casting draft to be specifically about the detention, and the biographical detail will then take a back seat. It looks like a few minutes work to realign it to the potentially better direction. 🇵🇸‍🇺🇦 FiddleTimtrent FaddleTalk to me 🇺🇦‍🇵🇸 09:12, 2 October 2026 (UTC)
Reza Valizadeh reporting for Radio Farda.

Reza Valizadeh (also known as Abdolreza Valizadeh) is an Iranian-American journalist and former reporter for Radio Farda, the Persian-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He has been detained in Iran since September 2024, where he was sentenced in December 2024 to ten years in prison on charges of “collaborating with a hostile government.”[1][2] In May 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated him as wrongfully detained.[3][4] His detention has received sustained coverage from international media outlets and press freedom organizations.

Journalism career

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Valizadeh began his journalism career in Iran. He was arrested in 2007 in connection with a blog post critical of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s security team.[5]  Following the 2009 Iranian presidential election and the protests known as the Iranian Green Movement, he left Iran and later received asylum in France.[5]

After leaving Iran, Valizadeh worked with Persian-language media outlets, including Radio France Internationale, Voice of America Persian, and Radio Farda.[5][6] From 2012 to 2022, he worked for Radio Farda, a Persian-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty funded by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, where he reported on corruption, protests, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[1][2][3]

Return to Iran and arrest

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On March 6, 2024, Valizadeh returned to Iran for the first time since 2009 to visit his aging parents.[2][4]  He was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran on September 22, 2024.[4]  Following his arrest, Valizadeh was held in Evin prison without access to his lawyer.[7]  Iranian intelligence interrogated Valizadeh while he was detained and pressured him to cooperate against his former employer, Radio Farda.[3]  Valizadeh refused to cooperate.[3]

Trial and sentencing

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On December 14, 2024, an Iranian court found Valizadeh guilty of “collaborating with a hostile government,” charges that stemmed from his work at a U.S.-funded radio outlet.[8]  The court sentenced Valizadeh to ten years in prison.[1][2]  Valizadeh’s sentence also included restrictions on his residence, travel, and political-party membership following his imprisonment.[1]  Valizadeh's attorneys have noted concerns about the fairness of his trial, including that the judge acted as both prosecutor and adjudicator for a trial lasting less than an hour.[4]  Valizadeh’s appeal of his conviction was denied in January 2025.[2]

Detention conditions and health

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Valizadeh has been held primarily in Evin Prison in Tehran since his arrest, a facility commonly used to hold political prisoners and foreign detainees.[2]  During his imprisonment, Valizadeh has endured solitary confinement and repeated interrogation.[9]  He has suffered from deteriorating health conditions while imprisoned, including coughing, asthma-related breathing issues, persistent back pain, and dental problems.[2][3] Conditions at Evin Prison, including unsanitary housing, polluted water, contaminated food, and inadequate medical treatment, have reportedly exacerbated Valizadeh’s health conditions.[10]

Valizadeh was briefly transferred to Fashafouyeh Prison following Israeli airstrikes on Evin Prison in June 2025, before being returned to Evin Prison.[6] Valizadeh’s family believes that the strike and Valizadeh’s subsequent transfer contributed to his worsening asthma.[5]

Public attention and advocacy

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Valizadeh’s detention has received coverage from Reuters, the Associated Press, CBS News, Fox News, the Washington Post, Al Jazeera, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.[1][2][3][11][12][13] Press freedom organizations have also called attention to his case.[5][10][14]  The United States Department of State formally designated Valizadeh as “wrongfully detained” in May 2025.[3]  This designation authorizes the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to coordinate activities across the Executive Branch to seek Valizadeh’s release.[15]  On January 20, 2026, attorneys for Valizadeh filed a petition with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on his behalf.[4]

In June 2026, CBS News published a recording in which Valizadeh, speaking from Evin Prison, requested medical assistance for himself and other detained Americans.[3]  In the recording, Valizadeh questioned why his and other Americans’ release had not been addressed in broader negotiations to end the U.S. conflict in Iran.[3]  These concerns were echoed in a June 19, 2026 Washington Post opinion column by Valizadeh’s attorney.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Iranian court jails Iranian-American journalist for 10 years, lawyer says". Reuters. 2024-12-14. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Reza Valizadeh". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "From inside Iran's Evin Prison, journalist Reza Valizadeh pleads for medical help for him and other American captives - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2026-06-05. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Concerns mount over Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh, wrongfully detained in Iran - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2026-01-20. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Abasian, Asal (2025-09-03). "Imprisoned for telling the truth: A Q&A with Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh's brother". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  6. 1 2 "Reza Valizadeh". UANI. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  7. ↑ Nierenberg, Amelia (2024-11-03). "U.S. Confirms Reports That Iran Arrested an Iranian-American Citizen". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  8. ↑ "Iran sentences an Iranian-American journalist to 10 years in prison". AP News. 2024-12-14. Archived from the original on 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  9. ↑ Cockayne, Vaughn (2026-06-18). "Advocacy groups push for jailed Americans to be included in U.S.-Iran negotiations". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  10. 1 2 "CPJ alarmed by new prison recording from Reza Valizadeh in Iran's Evin Prison". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2026-06-05. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  11. ↑ "US detainees in Iran risk becoming collateral damage in war, families and supporters fear". AP News. 2026-03-07. Archived from the original on 2026-03-19. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  12. ↑ Pandolfo, Chris (2024-11-03). "American journalist detained in Iran as Supreme Leader Khamenei threatens US, Israel, State Department says". Fox News. Fox News. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  13. ↑ Agencies, News. "Iran jails journalist Reza Valizadeh for 'hostile' US collaboration". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-10-01. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  14. ↑ "Reza Valizadeh". Foley Foundation. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  15. ↑ "Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  16. ↑ Fayhee, Ryan (2026-06-19). "Opinion | U.S.-Iran peace deal has a critical omission". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
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