Congressman Jared Huffman says Iran prisoner swap would be 'a great diplomatic achievement'

January 16, 2016

U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman said Saturday it would be "a great diplomatic achievement for the United States" after hearing that former Marin resident Jason Rezaian was to be released after being detained in Iran for the past 18 months.

Huffman said he was still hesitant to call the ordeal over until the Washington Post correspondent had left Iran.

"From my perspective, the most important thing is physically getting Jason up in the air and out of Iranian airspace," said Huffman, D-San Rafael. "That hasn't happened yet."

Huffman, the congressman who represents the Rezaian family, said that Ali Rezaian, Jason's 45-year-old brother of Mill Valley, was on his way to Europe, where he hopes to reunite with his brother later today.

Robbie Stauder, who began a life-long friendship with Rezaian in the first grade at Marin Country Day School shared Huffman's concern.

"There have been so many false starts, so many hopes," he said from New York. "It's hard to not get overly excited until it's real."

Stauder said he plans on seeing Jason as soon as possible.

"His birthday is March 15," Stauder said. Jason turns 40. "Of course we are overjoyed if we can celebrate that with him."

Jason Rezaian grew up in Terra Linda and graduated from Marin Academy.


Source: by Adrian Rodriguez