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Iran MP wants Washington Post journalist 'confession' aired

A hard-line Iranian parliament member has accused the Hassan Rouhani administration of giving detained Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian access to sensitive areas.
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Ali Rezaian, brother of Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian who has been detained in Iran since July 2014, speaks alongside Delphine Halgand, USA Director of Reporters Without Borders, as they discuss the World Press Freedom Index 2015 during a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, February 11, 2015. Published since 2002, the World Press Freedrom Index measures the level of freedom of information in 180 countries. AFP PHOTO /
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Hard-line Iranian Parliament member Hamid Rasaei has been on a mission to connect the case of detained Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian to the administration of President Hassan Rouhani. Rasaei has accused a figure within the administration of granting Rezaian high level access to sensitive institutions and called for the airing of an alleged confession by Rezaian on Iranian TV.

Rasaei, the deputy head of Iran’s Parliament’s Article 90 investigative committee, said, “The important question is who was supporting Jason Rezaian [and why] within the role of a Washington Post reporter he was able to inspect sensitive places of the country.” He added that while Rezaian published “half-positive” articles, “his prime motive for these inspections was not for reports to be published.” He did not go into detail about the accusations other than saying Rezaian’s motive was to bring about more pressure on various Iranian industries.

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