Partner David Bowker will speak with Jason Rezaian, The Washington Post’s Director of Press Freedom Initiatives, at a program on hostage-taking and the rule-of-law hosted by the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security on March 5. 

Mr. Rezaian was serving as The Washington Post’s Correspondent in Tehran, Iran, in 2014 when he was arrested and held hostage in Iranian prison for 544 days.  David represented the Post in the successful effort to secure Mr. Rezaian’s release and then represented Mr. Rezaian and his family in a successful U.S. litigation to hold Iran accountable under U.S. and international law.   

The program titled, "Hostage Diplomacy and the Rule of Law: The Wrongful Detention of American Citizens Overseas" will examine the growing use of wrongful detention by sovereign states as a tool of political leverage and the resulting implications for international law, accountability, and press freedom. 

David will discuss legal strategies for challenging wrongful detention and state impunity, drawing on his experience representing Mr. Rezaian during his 455-day imprisonment in Iran and helping to secure his release. 

Mr. Rezaian will share insights from his experience and discuss his ongoing advocacy to deter future abuses and defend free expression.