logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
25m 20s

Why Jason Rezaian is scared for Brittney...

THE WASHINGTON POST
About this episode

Today on Post Reports, we talk to our colleague Jason Rezaian about WNBA star Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia. Rezaian, who was unjustly held in Iran for 544 days, fears that Griner is being held as a geopolitical bargaining chip. 


Read more:


Post opinions writer Jason Rezaian is very concerned about Brittney Griner. 


When he heard of her arrest, he says, his first thought was, “This sounds a lot like what happened to me.” 


Rezaian was arrested in 2014, and his case became a bargaining chip in nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran.


Given the timing of Griner’s arrest, Rezaian says it could be tied to sanctions from the United States in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His opinions, he says, are informed by a new reality: More Americans are being wrongfully detained abroad, especially in moments of tension or conflict.


Watch The Post’s short documentary “Bring Them Home,” an intimate look at one family in this situation.

Up next
Oct 11
How to save an animal shelter: “If you care about something just do it”
The municipal animal shelter in Huntington, West Virginia, was euthanizing 50 to 75 percent of the animals that came in because they didn’t have the funding or space to care for them. Enter Courtney Proctor Cross. She was named director of the shelter in August 2018, and through ... Show More
13m 37s
Oct 10
Shutdown cracks, Jay Jones’s texts, Trump’s Gaza deal
The Senate remains far apart on resolving the ongoing government shutdown. But the battle for public opinion on who’s to blame has shifted. Republicans appear split on whether to negotiate on health-care costs, as Democrats are demanding. And polling shows voters blame the GOP ju ... Show More
26m 16s
Oct 9
Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl and a MAGA meltdown
Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny is having a phenomenal year. His seventh album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” came out in January and spent weeks at the top of the charts. He sold out a musical residency in Puerto Rico. And now, he’s set to headline one of the biggest stages for ... Show More
19m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
544 Days In An Iranian Prison with Jason Rezaian
In July of 2014, Iranian-American journalist Jason Rezaian and his wife were accused of being spies by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and were arrested. Jason was held captive for 544 days, and he’s the host of Crooked Media’s podcast, “544 Days.” He joins us to discuss his experienc ... Show More
17m 50s
Jul 2022
How Brittney Griner Became a Political Pawn
Brittney Griner, the American W.N.B.A. star who has been detained in Russia since February, recently sent a letter to President Biden. “I’m terrified I might be here forever,” she wrote.The White House vowed to use “every tool” to bring Ms. Griner back to the United States, but o ... Show More
29m 36s
Dec 2023
Inside Russia’s Crackdown on Dissent: An Update
This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year and checking in on what has happened in the time since they first ran.Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Kremlin made it a crime to oppose the war in public. Since then, it has waged a relentless cam ... Show More
20m 58s
Dec 2022
Brittney Griner is Home (with Jen Psaki)
Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki subs in as cohost, talking with Ben about Brittney Griner’s release, what a Republican House means for Ukraine, executions and risks of escalation in Iran, Morocco’s Cinderella story at the World Cup, and Jen recounts some highlights f ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2023
Blinken backs Israel | Criminals could go free as prisons fill up
The United States has re-affirmed its support for Israel in the wake of the brutal attacks by Hamas, sending its most senior diplomat Antony Blinken to Tel Aviv. It’s his first stop on a tour of the Middle East, in an effort by the US to stop the conflict spreading. Mr Blinken in ... Show More
20m 52s
May 2022
Far From Home, Bringing Americans Back
Although US-Russia tensions have been at an all-time high, the two countries have been staying in touch on another issue. Trevor Reed, an American imprisoned in Russian territory has finally returned home after nearly 3 years and intense negotiation between the two countries. His ... Show More
26m 7s
Apr 2024
A perilous moment between Israel and Iran
Kate Adie presents stories from Israel, Nigeria, the US, Lithuania and FranceTensions between Iran and Israel this week have ramped up further after Tehran issued a warning that it would retaliate for a recent strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Israel never claimed resp ... Show More
28m 49s
Apr 2023
Inside Russia’s Crackdown on Dissent
Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Kremlin made it a crime to oppose the war in public. Since then, it has waged a relentless campaign of repression, putting Russian citizens in jail for offenses as small as holding a poster or sharing a news article on social media.Valerie H ... Show More
35m 18s
May 2024
Why Focusing on Abusers Instead of Survivors Misses the Point
Survivors, not statistics: We start with the persistent and pernicious violence against women, and the lack of action and accountability to protect them. This week two more women accused rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs of sexual assault. This comes after CNN obtained sickening video of ... Show More
40m 22s
Jan 2024
Fani Willis Fights Back Against Misconduct Claims
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis faces misconduct allegations after a co-defendant in Georgia’s election interference case against Trump claimed that Willis was in a “romantic relationship” with her special prosecutor. The presiding judge set a hearing for February 15t ... Show More
27m 10s