Listen to journalist Reza Valizadeh's voice memo from Iran's Evin Prison here
Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian American journalist, has been detained in Evin Prison for over a year. In a voice memo, he expressed concern over the U.S. government's decision not to negotiate for his release alongside the recent return of 20 Iranian sailors. Valizadeh highlighted the lack of medical care for himself and other detainees, questioning the priorities of U.S. negotiations with Iran.
- ▪Reza Valizadeh has been detained in Evin Prison in Tehran for over a year.
- ▪He recorded a voice memo discussing the release of 20 Iranian sailors by the U.S. on May 21.
- ▪Valizadeh criticized the U.S. government for not demanding his release in exchange for the sailors.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Politics Listen to Iranian American journalist Reza Valizadeh's voice memo from Iran's Evin Prison here June 5, 2026 / 12:15 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google CBS News has obtained a voice memo that was recorded by Iranian American journalist Reza Valizadeh, who has been detained in Evin Prison in Tehran for over a year. "Face the Nation" moderator and CBS News chief foreign correspondent Margaret Brennan's report on Valizadeh's voice memo is here. The full audio of the memo, just under two minutes long, is in the player above, and the transcript is below.I'm Reza Validzadeh, your colleague, who is sending you this message from Evin Prison in Tehran. The following statement is my personal opinion on the release of 20 Iranian sailors by the United States on May 21.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at CBS News — Politics.
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