Reasonably Optimistic
Reasonably Optimistic
The Washington Post
What Jason Rezaian learned after 544 days in an Iranian prison
39 minutes Posted Jan 28, 2026 at 11:00 am.
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Show notes
This month marks the 10-year anniversary of Jason Rezaian’s release from imprisonment in Iran. In 2014, Rezaian — then The Washington Post’s Tehran bureau chief — was arrested with his wife at their home and detained in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison. He joins host Megan McArdle to discuss his time in captivity, Iran’s trajectory since his release, and what his experience reveals about press freedom — and its fragility — around the world. Read more in Rezaian’s book, “Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison.”