After more than seven months behind bars in an Iranian prison, detained Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian has for the first time been allowed to hire a defense lawyer, according to his family.
It's just not the attorney Rezaian's family had hoped for. The Iranian-American journalist's family had been seeking to hire lawyer Masoud Shafiei, who has had experience dealing with sensitive cases involving foreigners and previously represented three American hikers arrested by Iran in 2009.
Ali Rezaian, the reporter's brother, told The Associated Press in an interview last month that Shafiei had been prevented from dropping off paperwork that Rezaian must sign to enlist his services - effectively making him unable to formally defend him.
The judge overseeing the case set today deadline to present a defense attorney, giving the family little choice but to hire someone new.
The family said in a statement that Shafiei "worked tirelessly under pressure from the judiciary" to seek approval to represent Rezaian, but it became clear he would not be able to do so.
Defense attorney Leila Ahsan will now represent the journalist, according to the family. She is also the lawyer for Rezaian's Iranian wife, Yeganeh Salehi, a reporter for The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi.
"We are hopeful that her knowledge of the case and access to the files will ensure that there are no further unwarranted delays in the process," Ali Rezaian and his mother, Mary, said in their statement.
The couple and two other journalists were detained by authorities on July 22. Two journalists, whose names have not been made public, were freed within a month of their arrest. Salehi was released in October.
