TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's judiciary said Sunday that a verdict has been reached in the case of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who has been detained for more than a year on espionage allegations, but did not say what the verdict is.
"The verdict has been issued," judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi said in response to a question at a weekly news briefing, according to the official IRNA news agency. It was the first time an Iranian judicial official has confirmed that a verdict has been reached.
Ejehi said the verdict is not final and can be appealed within 20 days. He said he did not know if the verdict had been given to Rezaian or his lawyer, Leila Ahsan.
Ahsan told The Associated Press "there are no new developments" and said she has not received the verdict.
By mentioning that the verdict is not final, Ejei, a former prosecutor general, seemed to suggest that the Iranian government considers Rezaian a candidate for a prisoner swap.
Last month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he would work for the release of three Iranian Americans detained in Iran, including Rezaian, if the United States would free Iranians held in U.S. prisons for violating sanctions against their country. Iranian officials have said that 19 Iranians fall into this category, but neither Iran nor the Justice Department has named the individuals who might be on Tehran's wish list.
The Post's executive editor, Martin Baron, called the judiciary official's statement "vague and puzzling" and said it "only adds to the injustice that has surrounded Jason's case." He said the newspaper has no further information beyond what was announced.
"It is not clear whether this ruling includes a verdict or a sentence -- or even whether its contents have been communicated to Jason or his lawyer," Baron said in an emailed statement.
The Post has vehemently disputed the allegation that Rezaian was a spy. Baron has said that Rezaian was acting solely as a journalist and called his trial a "sham" and "a sick brew of farce and tragedy."
The Post, along with U.S. officials and media rights groups, has repeatedly pressed for his release. It says he was held for months in isolation without access to a lawyer, and later had only limited opportunity with his legal counsel before his trial began.
"The only thing that has ever been clear about this case is Jason's innocence," Baron said. "If a ruling has been issued and is now being reviewed, this puts on the onus on Iran's senior leaders to demonstrate the fairness and justice that could only lead to Jason's exoneration and release."
The State Department was equally mystified about news of the verdict.
"We've seen the news reports concerning a verdict in the case of U.S. citizen Jason Rezaian but have not yet seen any official confirmation or details of a specific verdict from Iranian authorities," said John Kirby, a spokesman for the department. "We're monitoring the situation closely, and we continue to call for all charges against Jason to be dropped and for him to be immediately released."
In a written statement, Rezaian's brother, Ali, said the announcement was "just another sad chapter" in his brother's 14-month imprisonment.
"It follows an unconscionable pattern by Iranian authorities of silence, obfuscation, delay and a total lack of adherence to international law, as well as Iranian law," he said.
"The Iranian government has never provided proof of the trumped-up espionage and other charges against Jason, so today's vague statement on a purported verdict, while certainly disappointing to our family, is not surprising."
Ali Rezaian also appealed to the government to release his brother.
"Jason was simply a journalist doing his job and following all the rules when he was wrongly arrested and imprisoned in Tehran's infamous Evin Prison," he said. "He is an innocent man that has been kept under harsh conditions to the detriment of his health and well-being for nearly 450 days. There is worldwide condemnation for the Iranian government's unlawful detention of Jason and calls from across the globe for his immediate release. We remain hopeful that Jason will soon be released and reunited with this family."
Rezaian was detained with his wife, who is a journalist for The National newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, and two photojournalists on July 22, 2014. All were later released except Rezaian.
Rezaian has been held in prison longer than any journalist in Iran, and since last week, longer than the U.S. Embassy hostages held from November 1979 to January 1981.
Today is his 448th day in custody.
He holds dual citizenship, a status that Iran does not recognize. Although he was born and raised in California to a father who emigrated from Iran, the Tehran government has treated him as a full Iranian citizen.
Rezaian faced charges of espionage in a closed-door trial that has been widely criticized by the U.S. government and press freedom organizations. He reportedly faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
His trial was heard in Revolutionary Court, which typically hears cases involving national security and other sensitive issues.
The judge in the case, Abolghassem Salavati, is known for his tough sentences and has heard other politically charged cases, including those of protesters arrested in connection with demonstrations that followed the 2009 presidential elections.
After Rezaian's last court hearing on Aug. 10, his lawyer said she expected a verdict could be issued as early as the following week.
Information for this article was contributed by Amir Vahdat and Adam Schreck of The Associated Press and Carol Morello of The Washington Post.
A Section on 10/12/2015