From inside Iran’s Evin Prison, U.S. citizen Reza Valizadeh gives update on conditions, fears exposure to disease
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U.S. Citizen Reza Valizadeh Shares Prison Update from Evin
Wertynews.com – From inside Iran s Evin Prison, CBS News has secured a new audio statement from Reza Valizadeh, an American journalist currently detained in Tehran. The U.S. citizen last spoke in June, and his attorney Ryan Fayhee has asked that this latest recording be made public.
Valizadeh is one of five Americans still held in Iran. Two remain at Evin Prison, while three others are subject to exit bans that keep them from leaving the country.
Conditions and Health Worries
In his voice memo, Valizadeh described his circumstances and mentioned Kamran Hekmati, another American prisoner. Hekmati recently went back to jail after medical leave of under thirty days. Kieran Ramsey, a New York advocate with Global Reach, said Hekmati wanted chemotherapy for what seems to be recurring cancer but could not get it.
Hekmati, a Jewish Iranian-American from New York, turns sixty-two next week. He was arrested after the twelve-day Israel-Iran conflict in 2025 on charges related to earlier trips to Israel. The State Department lists both Hekmati and Valizadeh as wrongfully imprisoned.
Valizadeh, who has dual Iranian-American citizenship, used to work for Radio Free Europe’s Persian-language service. He has been in Iran since 2024.
Medical Care and Family Visits
Valizadeh said Iranian authorities have prevented his family from visiting for five months straight, a move he considers punishment. He also shared concerns about tuberculosis exposure from a cellmate who coughed up blood. For more than a year, inmates have received very little medical care, according to Valizadeh.
CBS News passed these remarks to Iran’s UN mission and heard nothing back.
Political Developments
Attorney Ryan Fayhee stated that President Trump should prioritize freeing wrongfully detained Americans during discussions with Iran. The Trump administration has not publicly confirmed bringing up these cases in recent talks. Still, a Trump official told CBS News in June that the administration watches Valizadeh’s case closely along with other detained U.S. citizens and is working to secure their release.
Sharing this message puts Valizadeh at some risk, but he feels he must speak out.
What Valizadeh Said
We, the prisoners of Evin Prison, have been denied access to the prison library and sport facilities for more than a year. Medical care in the prison is almost non-existent. Only the most basic medications are available.
Even worse, many medicines purchased and delivered by prisoners’ families are stolen by prison staff before reaching the prisoners. The prison’s doctors are rude, unmotivated and lack professional competence. As a result, most prisoners avoid seeking medical treatment unless they have no other choice.
Diseases that were eradicated decades ago have returned inside the prison, including pulmonary and gastrointestinal tuberculosis. One prisoner suffered TB symptoms, including coughing up blood and severe weight loss for six months. He was sent to a hospital outside the prison only when his condition became life-threatening. Before that, he had lived in close quarters with other prisoners for about 10 months. No one knows how many inmates may have been exposed to or infected with tuberculosis.
On the other hand, because of the poor quality of prison food, most prisoners refuse to eat the meals provided by the prison. Recently, authorities have started transferring non-political prisoners, mainly those convicted of financial crimes, from other prisons into our ward. This appears to be an attempt to weaken the unity of political prisoners and change the composition of our ward. Our ward already lacks the space and facilities to accommodate more prisoners.
Whenever prisoners raise even minor protests about prison conditions, they are punished by losing family visits and phone calls. For example, I have not been allowed to see my family for the past five months. Part of this has been imposed as punishment, while the rest has been justified by the authorities due to the wartime
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Reza Valizadeh? Reza Valizadeh is an American journalist and dual Iranian-American citizen who has been detained in Iran since 2024. He previously worked for Radio Free Europe’s Persian-language division.
Where is Valizadeh being held? He is being held at Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran, along with fellow American Kamran Hekmati.
What health concerns has Valizadeh raised? Valizadeh has expressed worry about tuberculosis exposure from a fellow inmate and noted that medical care in the prison is minimal. He also mentioned that medicines brought by families are sometimes stolen by staff.
Why has Valizadeh been detained? He was arrested following the twelve-day Israel-Iran conflict in 2025 on charges connected to previous visits to Israel. The U.S. State Department classifies him as wrongfully imprisoned.
Has the U.S. government been involved in his case? Yes. A Trump administration official told CBS News in June that the administration monitors Valizadeh’s situation closely and is actively pursuing his freedom along with other detained U.S. citizens.
