Jason Rezaian
The Guardian
What holds, and what fails, under pressure, standards and accountability.
Jason Rezaian is a journalist who endured 544 days of imprisonment in Iran on false charges, highlighting the dangers faced by reporters in authoritarian regimes. This interview reveals his steadfast dedication to uncovering the realities of life in such countries and his belief in the importance of journalism as a stabilizing force in turbulent times.
“So, you know, the fallout from Jamal's murder was driven by outrage in the media. And I think that Congress really picked up on that and really understands that our relationship with Saudi Arabia needs to have A long hard look in the mirror and some shifts.”
“Well, I think that if we take a close look at The top foreign policy leadership of this administration. You take the president, you take the State Department under Mike Pompeo, and John Bolton as national security advisor, I think each one of them has a slightly different plan in their mind.”
“There's supposed to be three of you, but there's only one. And I thought he was referring to other Americans that were going to be released with me. And he said, no, no, no, your mother and your wife, they're leaving. They're going with you. And I said, no, no, they're not, you know, my wife's not part of this.”
“So, you know, I was irate and scared. And where were they? Where did they go? Turned out that they were locked in a room in the airport, had their telephones taken from them. And the Revolutionary Guard were trying to kind of hustle me on the plane and get me to take off without them.”
The Axe Files with David Axelrod — Ep. 324 — Jason Rezaian
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