544 Days

For 544 days, Jason Rezaian was held hostage in Iran’s notorious Evin prison. Interrogated. Sealed off from the outside world. He was accused of being an American spy, though his formal title was Washington Post Tehran Correspondent. This is a story about government and family and journalism, and what it took to free an innocent man… all while navigating the high-stakes world of nuclear diplomacy. 544 Days is a Spotify Original podcast, produced by Gimlet, Crooked Media and A24.

Episodes

Introducing 544 Days

September 21, 2021 • 3 mins

A journalist is jailed in an Iranian prison. His fate is tied to a ground-breaking diplomatic mission. Here’s the story of what it took to get him out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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An Avocado Revolution | Episode 1

September 28, 2021 • 30 mins

Everything was going great for Jason Rezaian. He was The Washington Post’s correspondent in Tehran. He had just gotten married. Then, in July of 2014, Jason and his wife were arrested and thrown in an Iranian prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Life on the Inside | Episode 2

September 28, 2021 • 33 mins

Jason and Yegi are each detained in solitary confinement, enduring everything from cruel interrogations to the tedium of vacuuming their own cells. Without any information from the outside, Jason starts to fear that no one is doing anything to free them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Meet the Rezaians | Episode 3

September 28, 2021 • 41 mins

Jason's brother gets news of the arrest and calls their mom. The Rezaians begin a long journey to figure out what it will take to face down Iran’s leaders, pressure the U.S. government, and free Jason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Worst Thanksgiving Ever | Episode 4

October 5, 2021 • 40 mins

How do you free a hostage without giving the hostage-taker any more leverage? The Washington Post and the Obama administration search for a strategy to bring Jason home. And the whole process is complicated by the high-stakes negotiations over a nuclear deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Hashtags and Backchannels | Episode 5

October 5, 2021 • 41 mins

The public effort to get Jason out gains new life with #FreeJason and some famous supporters, including Muhammad Ali and Anthony Bourdain. Meanwhile, the U.S. government pivots to a secret backchannel to negotiate his release as the true reason for Jason’s imprisonment becomes clear. Featuring interviews with former Secretary of State John Kerry and Obama Administration officials Brett McGurk, Ben Rhodes and Wendy Sherman Learn mor...

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The Judge of Death | Episode 6

October 12, 2021 • 36 mins

Jason and Mary Rezaian face off against the “Judge of Death” in his Tehran courtroom just as the nuclear negotiations appear to be wrapping up. Will the deal include freeing Jason? If it doesn’t, will he remain stuck in prison forever? Featuring John Kerry, Wendy Sherman, Marty Baron and Carol Morello. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Lying Shepherd | Episode 7

October 12, 2021 • 33 mins

The clock ticks perilously down towards the day the nuclear deal goes into effect. For Jason, it feels like the door is closing. What he doesn’t know is that his family, the Post, and the Obama administration are increasing the pressure on Iran. Featuring Marty Baron, Brett McGurk, Lisa Monaco, Ben Rhodes and John Kerry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The 544th Day | Episode 8

October 19, 2021 • 46 mins

After a year and a half in prison, Jason leaves Evin. But that’s just the beginning of a crazy odyssey as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps tries one last time to scramble the deal to get Jason and Yegi out of Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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It Isn’t Over | Episode 9

October 19, 2021 • 53 mins

Is it possible to return to “normal” after a traumatic imprisonment? As Jason and Yegi begin to make a new life in the U.S., they each face their own struggles. And they confront the troubling reality that, five years later, Iran and other countries continue taking political hostages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Another Reporter Imprisoned (from The Journal. podcast)

April 25, 2023 • 16 mins

Evan Gershkovich is based in Moscow for the Wall Street Journal. Most recently, he was writing about how the war in Ukraine is changing Russian society and the shockwaves that conflict is having on the economy. But on March 29th, Russian authorities detained Evan and are holding him in a notorious prison under allegations of espionage. With the parallels to our story in “544 Days,” we want to share this update. Ever since this sho...

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