Following imprisoned journalist Reza Valizadeh’s urgent plea for medical treatment, sent from Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, the International Press Institute (IPI) calls on the U.S. government to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to secure treatment for him, and ensure his release is part of ongoing peace negotiations.
Valizadeh, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, has been jailed since September 2024 in connection to his previous work with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Persian-language service, Radio Farda. In December 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for “collaborating with a hostile government.”
He is currently being held in Tehran’s Evin prison, a site known for housing political prisoners of the Iranian regime, many of whom suffer a wide range of human rights abuses within its walls.
In a voice recording from inside Evin that was made public earlier this month, Valizadeh described “physical pressure and mental torture” he and several other Americans held in Evin prison have suffered behind bars and pleaded with the U.S. government to take action on their behalf to secure necessary medical treatment, and ultimately, their release.
The release of the recording comes as an unprecedented, monthslong internet blackout carried out by the Iranian regime was lifted at the end of May.
Since Israel’s June 2025 attack on Evin, which caused a fire to break out at the prison, Valizadeh’s health has reportedly deteriorated. According to his U.S.-based lawyer, Valizadeh — who has asthma — suffers frequent coughing fits due to smoke inhalation. He has also been denied care for several other ongoing health problems.
Evin prison and the surrounding neighbourhoods have come under repeated fire and bombardment over the past year, as hostilities have escalated between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, raising concerns over the safety of the prison’s inhabitants.
Valizadeh has been officially recognised as “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. State Department. In February 2026, only a day before the current conflict began, the U.S. formally designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, noting Tehran’s historic use of hostage-taking for political leverage.
Despite a recent spate of hostilities between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that negotiations with Iran are continuing and that a deal to end the ongoing conflict, which began in February 2026, may be agreed upon in the coming weeks.