Iran official hopes jailed US reporter cleared

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday said he hopes his nation’s courts clear an American journalist of the criminal charges against him.

{mosads}Zarif said he wishes The Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian is found not guilty of espionage and other crimes, CNN reported.

“Unfortunately, your friend and my friend, Jason, is accused of a very serious offense and I hope he’s cleared in a court,” Zarif told listeners at New York University in New York.

“He is an Iranian citizen,” he added of Rezaian, the Post’s Tehran bureau chief.

“It is unfortunate some overzealous low-level operative tried to take advantage of him,” Zarif concluded, according to CNN. “And I don’t go into further detail because it’s a pending case before the court.”

Rezaian was arrested nine months ago and sent to a prison for Iran’s political prisoners. He was accused of “collaborating with hostile governments” and “propaganda against the establishment” earlier this month.

Iranian officials allege Rezaian communicated sensitive “internal and foreign policy” information to President Obama. The White House strongly rejected the assertions during a press conference earlier this month.

“If the reports are true, these charges are absurd, should be immediately dismissed and Jason should be freed immediately so he can return home to his family,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on April 20.

Rezaian’s detainment occurred against a backdrop of negotiations between the two nations over Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S. is targeting a June 30 final deadline for a pact with Tehran.

A framework deal announced on April 2 would lift economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for more restrictions on its nuclear capabilities.

Iran would accept more frequent atomic inspections and caps on its centrifuge and uranium deals as part of the accord.

The Obama administration has until June 30 for a final deal with Tehran.

Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), a GOP 2016 presidential candidate, has long argued Rezaian’s release should constitute part of the bargain.

“The Obama administration should demand Mr. Rezaian’s immediate release along with all other Americans wrongfully imprisoned in Iran prior to concluding a nuclear deal with this brutal regime,” Rubio said in a joint statement with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill) on April 20.