Iran's 'moderate' president dodges question on held Washington Post reporter

CAIRO –  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declined to specifically discuss the case of a detained Washington Post journalist during a nationally televised news conference Saturday.

During the conference, a journalist asked a question about Iran's global outreach after the parliament's impeachment of the country's science minister, increased raids targeting satellite dishes and the detention of Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian.

Rezaian, 38, and his wife Yeganeh Salehi, a correspondent for the Abu Dhabi-based daily newspaper The National, have been held for more than a month. They were detained with two photojournalists who were later released.

When asked about Rezaian's detention, Rouhani said: "In our country, there is not a united viewpoint. There are different viewpoints. Institutes and organs have tasks that they carry some actions in their framework."

It wasn't clear which part of the question Rouhani was responding to.

Iranian officials have not specifically said why Rezaian and his wife were detained.