The Inspiration for the New Podcast Featuring Jason Rezaian. "544
Days" is a Spotify original podcast, produced by Gimlet, Crooked Media
and A24.
The dramatic memoir of the journalist who was held hostage in a
high-security prison in Tehran for eighteen months and whose
release--which almost didn't happen--became a part of the Iran nuclear
deal
In July 2014, Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian was
arrested by Iranian police, accused of spying for America. The charges
were absurd. Rezaian's reporting was a mix of human interest stories and
political analysis. He had even served as a guide for Anthony Bourdain's
Parts Unknown. Initially, Rezaian thought the whole thing was a
terrible misunderstanding, but soon realized that it was much more dire
as it became an eighteen-month prison stint with impossibly high
diplomatic stakes.
While in prison, Rezaian had tireless advocates working on his behalf.
His brother lobbied political heavyweights including John Kerry and
Barack Obama and started a social media campaign--#FreeJason--while
Jason's wife navigated the red tape of the Iranian security apparatus,
all while the courts used Rezaian as a bargaining chip in negotiations
for the Iran nuclear deal.
In Prisoner, Rezaian writes of his exhausting interrogations and
farcical trial. He also reflects on his idyllic childhood in Northern
California and his bond with his Iranian father, a rug merchant; how his
teacher Christopher Hitchens inspired him to pursue journalism; and his
life-changing decision to move to Tehran, where his career took off and
he met his wife. Written with wit, humor, and grace, Prisoner brings
to life a fascinating, maddening culture in all its complexity.
"An important story. Harrowing, and suspenseful, yes--but it's also a
deep dive into a complex and egregiously misunderstood country with two
very different faces. There is no better time to know more about
Iran--and Jason Rezaian has seen both of those faces." -- Anthony
Bourdain
"Jason paid a deep price in defense of journalism and his story proves
that not everyone who defends freedom carries a gun, some carry a pen."
--John F. Kerry, 68th Secretary of State
