Journalist in Iran's Evin Prison pleads for medical help for him, U.S. captives

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In a recorded telephone telephone from wrong Iran's Evin Prison, Iranian-American writer Reza Valizadeh made a plea to the U.S. authorities to get aesculapian assistance for him and different Americans detained successful Tehran's notorious prison.

"Even if treating our diseases is simply a large demand, it would person astatine slightest asked the Iranian authorities to trim not each the carnal unit and intelligence torture against america successful captivity, but astatine slightest immoderate of it," Valizadeh said successful the signaling precocious obtained by CBS News.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran 3 months ago, the state has been nether a near-total net blackout, imposed by the regime, with small to nary connection betwixt the detained American and his advocates. Valizadeh's connection was transmitted aft the authorities loosened those restrictions past week.

In the two-minute recording, Valizadeh referred to 3 different Americans besides held astatine Evin Prison. He said the 4 are suffering from "various diseases and are deprived from existent aesculapian services." CBS News has not been capable to independently corroborate details regarding the 3 different Americans Valizadeh mentioned successful the recording.

Valizadeh's lawyer, Ryan Fayhee, told CBS News that ever since the fires caused by a arguable Israeli airstrike connected Evin Prison past June, Valizadeh has had a hard clip speaking without coughing. He besides suffers from persistent backmost symptom and dental issues.

"He's survived an airstrike connected the prison, helium survived the situation itself, you know, the indignity of being held. As for being a journalist, helium doesn't person overmuch to suffer present successful reaching retired and communicating with maine and asking me, directing me, successful fact, arsenic his lawyer, to stock his words with the American public," Fayhee told CBS News.

CBS News has learned the State Department believes six Americans are detained successful Iran. Multiple sources acquainted with the ongoing diplomacy said that nary of the detained Americans volition beryllium released arsenic portion of the truce that's presently being negotiated by the U.S. and Iran. The strategy is to archetypal broker a woody to extremity the warring and commencement atomic talks past grip the hostage contented successful a abstracted track.

The sources told CBS News that the instrumentality of the Americans is simply a priority, but a determination was made to debar entangling them successful a analyzable and tenuous truce that could illness and origin them further risk. On the different hand, the hazard of prolonged inaction remains.

A Trump medication authoritative declined to reply a question astir wherefore the Americans were not archetypal released arsenic a goodwill motion and cited the sensitivity of the ongoing diplomacy.

Valizadeh began the signaling by sharing his dismay that the U.S. had chosen to merchandise Iranian sailors who were connected a ship seized by the U.S. military and instrumentality them to Iran past month. He whitethorn person been referring to a May 4 seizure of the centrifugal vas Touska.

On May 4, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson told CBS News that 22 unit members were taken from the vessel, which had been seized for trying to tally done a U.S.-enforced blockade. They were handed implicit to Pakistan for repatriation to Iran. At the time, Pakistan's overseas curate referred to the instrumentality of the sailors arsenic a "confidence-building measure" for the ongoing diplomacy it was trying to broker betwixt the U.S. and Iran.

"The U.S. authorities could person demanded our speech successful return. However, it did not happen," Valizadeh said. He past asked what concessions the U.S. had won successful speech for the merchandise of the Iranians and said if those things 'make America large again,' past helium afloat respects the decision.

The State Department formally designated Valizadeh arsenic "wrongfully detained" successful May 2025, placing his lawsuit nether the authorization of the U.S. government's hostage affairs office. However, the Iran diplomacy is being led by White House peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, alternatively than by officials astatine the State Department.

One different American, Kamran Hekmati, was besides designated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio arsenic wrongfully detained.

"I would emotion to perceive Steve Witkoff oregon Jared Kushner oregon adjacent President Trump admit that the Iranians are holding American citizens, including a journalist, and that those people, those quality beings, are portion of these broader negotiations," Fayhee told CBS News.

"They've talked astir everything other progressive successful the negotiations, but for this thing, and I'm hopeful that they'll statesman to stock with the nationalist what steps they're taking to retrieve Reza."

Rubio testified earlier Congress Wednesday that the U.S. is considering a two-phase statement that would commencement with an archetypal cessation of unit and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The 2nd signifier of the projected woody would code Iran's atomic programme and necessitate elaborate negotiations lasting anyplace from 30 to 90 days.

Why Valizadeh is successful situation successful Iran

Valizadeh became a U.S. national successful 2022 done his enactment for U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Farda, the Persian subdivision of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

According to messages relayed to his lawyer by his family, Valizadeh believed helium had been fixed assurances by Iranian authorities that it was harmless for him to instrumentality to Tehran, wherever astir of his household resides. At the clip of his return, Valizadeh was nary longer employed by Radio Farda. His member has said helium present believes those guarantees were portion of a trap, perchance involving a erstwhile workfellow who had ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Reporting by Persian-language media aboriginal cited sources who said Iranian quality had hoped to unit Valizadeh into cooperating against his erstwhile employer, Radio Farda, where helium reported connected corruption, protests and the power of the IRGC. He refused.

Days later, IRGC agents detained him connected a Tehran street, confiscated his belongings, including his U.S. passport, and took him to Evin Prison, wherever helium spent weeks successful isolation and nether aggravated interrogation. Iranian officials did not publically admit his apprehension for astir 2 months.

Valizadeh was yet charged with "collaborating with a hostile government," a vague nationalist information discourtesy that Iranian authorities routinely usage against journalists and activists.

Stephen Capus, the president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, told CBS News that Valizadeh's erstwhile colleagues "anxiously await the time that Reza tin rejoin his loved ones and erstwhile again beryllium free."

"Reza has been callously separated from his household and friends for much than 20 months, by a convulsive and inhumane Iranian government," helium said successful a statement. "We are grateful that the U.S. authorities has declared Reza to beryllium wrongfully detained."

Olivia Gazis and Justine Redman contributed to this report.

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