544 Days

Latest Episodes:

Surviving 491 days in a Russian prison Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

A special episode from Jason’s new podcast at The Washington Post, “The Freedom Desk.”

Evan Gershkovich spent 491 days in a Russian prison after being arrested on baseless espionage charges while reporting for The Wall Street Journal. He’s now out with a new tell-all book called This Cursed Beautiful Land: A Russian-American Story.

In this episode, Jason and Evan explore the commonalities and differences between their experiences of being taken hostage by foreign governments. They discuss the guilt and confusion that permeate captivity, the ways they learned to survive, and what life is like after being released. It’s an unusually candid conversation between two journalists who have lived through similar harrowing ordeals and emerged determined to keep reporting.

Today’s show was produced by Josh Carroll and Layli Nazarova. It was edited by Ted Muldoon.

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Inside America’s most difficult hostage negotiations Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

A special episode from Jason’s new podcast at The Washington Post, “The Freedom Desk.”

Roger Carstens spent nearly five years leading hostage negotiations for the United States. He joins Jason to discuss the high-stakes work of bringing wrongfully detained Americans home—negotiating, at times, with people he fought against during his prior service in U.S. special operations.

Carstens explains the role humor, humility and empathy play in negotiations and why authoritarian governments increasingly use detained journalists as political leverage. The conversation turns personal as Jason reflects on his own experiences after being released from captivity in Iran and how they have affected his understanding of freedom.

Today’s show was produced by Josh Carroll and Layli Nazarova. It was edited by Ted Muldoon and Reena Flores.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here. And watch us on YouTube here.

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Bonus: Protests in Iran and 10 Years of Freedom Jan 14, 2026

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It’s been 10 years since Jason Rezaian, host of 544 Days, was released from his wrongful imprisonment in Iran. On the anniversary of his freedom, Jason sits down with Tommy Vietor, host of Pod Save The World. They dig into the recent protests in Iran, whether the regime is headed toward collapse, and how Jason is still fighting for press freedom a decade after being held hostage.

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Another Reporter Imprisoned (from The Journal. podcast) Apr 25, 2023

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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 show was released, Jason Rezaian has been following cases of journalists and other Americans around the world who are being targeted by authoritarian autocratic regimes. You can find that coverage here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jason-rezaian/

This episode originally aired on “The Journal.” You can listen to new episodes every weekday.

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It Isn’t Over | Episode 9 Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

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.

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The 544th Day | Episode 8 Oct 19, 2021

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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.

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The Lying Shepherd | Episode 7 Oct 12, 2021

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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.

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The Judge of Death | Episode 6 Oct 12, 2021

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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.

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Hashtags and Backchannels | Episode 5 Oct 05, 2021

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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

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The Worst Thanksgiving Ever | Episode 4 Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

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.

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