CBS News Features Ryan Fayhee’s Pro Bono Efforts to Release Wrongfully Detained Iranian-American Journalist Reza Valizadeh
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CBS News highlighted Akin national security & global investigations partner Ryan Fayhee's pro bono advocacy on behalf of Reza Valizadeh, a 49-year-old Iranian-American journalist wrongfully detained in Iran since September 2024.
Amid escalating international pressure for Valizadeh’s release, Fayhee filed a petition with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. He told CBS, "In lodging this petition to the UN, alongside pulling every lever of power available to us in D.C., we are committed to bringing attention to Reza's case, not only to secure his release, but to send an unequivocal message that the targeting of U.S. citizens abroad will not be tolerated."
The State Department formally designated Valizadeh as "wrongfully detained" in May 2025.
Drawing on his background as a former DOJ national security prosecutor, Ryan is a leading voice on hostage diplomacy and American safety overseas. His previous pro bono efforts helped secure the release of multiple wrongfully detained Americans, including Ryan Corbett (Taliban), Paul Whelan (Russia), Paul Rusesabagina (Rwanda), and 13 Texas missionaries (Nicaragua).
More about Ryan’s efforts to release Reza Valizadeh can be found on CBS News here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reza-valizadeh-detained-iran/ and here: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/concerns-mount-over-reza-valizadeh-journalist-wrongfully-detained-in-iran/
