USA: Kerry embraces released US-Iranian reporter at press freedom event

US Secretary of State John Kerry gave a speech on the importance of freedom of the press and the safety of journalists at the Washington Post's new headquarters in Washington DC, Thursday.
Addressing the attendees, Kerry told the crowd that "knowing the truth, curiosity is just a part of the human DNA. As a species we are driven to know what is going on in the world, maybe particularly as Americans, it is in our DNA. And that desire resides deep in the bloodstream of every journalist - aspiring or established."
He went on to say, "a country without a free and independent press has nothing to brag about, nothing to teach and no way to fulfill its potential. To those who try to intimidate or imprison reporters, we need to stand up and say loud and clear that committing journalism, reporting on the truth, is not a crime. It is a badge of honour, it is a public service."
The newspaper was also celebrating the return of its own reporter, the Iranian-American Jason Rezaian, who was released from an Iranian jail in mid-January, after having spent nearly two years behind bars. Rezaian was convicted in an espionage trial in Iran.