Watchdog

The brother of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian -- who has been detained in Tehran since July 2014 -- has delivered a petition to Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York calling for his release.

The move came on the 500th day since the detention of the 39-year-old Rezaian, who holds dual American and Iranian citizenship.

"They need to know that folks around the world are concerned about this," Rezaian’s brother, Ali, was quoted as saying on December 3.

Rezaian expressed concern about the health of his brother, which he said has been deteriorating in prison.

Last month, Iran’s Judiciary announced that Rezaian had been sentenced to an unspecified prison term following his conviction on charges that included espionage.

Rezaian’s family and The Washington Post have dismissed the charges against him as baseless.

The newspaper said on December 2 that it has submitted new information about Rezaian to a UN working group on arbitrary detention.

"Iran has never even bothered to produce any evidence against him,” said The Washington Post's executive editor, Martin Baron.

U.S. President Barack Obama has called for Tehran to release Rezaian.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP

Russian authorities have officially recognized as a victim the Tajik father of a baby boy who died while in Russian custody.

Having that status will allow Rustam Nazarov to remain in Russia until the probe into the death of his son is wrapped up.

Five-month-old Umarali Nazarov died on October 14, a day after his parents were briefly detained in St. Petersburg and accused of violating migration rules.

Russian officials said the child had died in hospital after suffering respiratory problems.

The parents challenged this, insisting the boy was healthy.

Russian authorities agreed to open a probe into the child's death only after an outcry, not only from Tajik migrants and human rights activists in Russia, but from government officials in Tajikistan as well.

In November, the child’s mother, Zarina Yunusova, was deported to Tajikistan. She accused Russian officials of taking the action to stop her from pressing authorities on the investigation into her son’s death.