Iran, according to a judge in the UNITED states to pay 180 million dollars in damages to a Washington Post journalist.

A u.s. judge on Friday ordered Iran to pay Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and his family nearly 180 million u.s. dollars in compensation.

It happens after the journalist between 2014 and 2016 sat detained in Iran in 544 days.

It appears by a 30 pages long decision by judge Richard J. Leon in Washington D. C.

- To hold a man hostage and subjecting him to torture in order to use it in negotiations with the UNITED states is outrageous. It deserves to be punished, just that there is a need for deterrence, " said judge Richard J. Leon.

the Judge informs further, that Jason Rezaian has "problems with sleeping and sometimes wake Nakitbahis up screaming because of nightmares." It happens as a result of that he has been tortured by the iranian authorities.

the Court has ordered Iran to pay the total of 150 million u.s. dollars in damages to Jason Rezaian, his wife, Mary, and his brother, Ali.

in Addition, the court ordered Iran to pay 24 million dollars for pain and suffering as well as millions in economic losses.

Rezaian's family had sought a billion dollars in damages.

Jason Rezaian was convicted of espionage in Iran in a trial that took place behind closed doors and was condemned by international human rights organisations.

His arrest happened during the UNITED states'negotiations with Iran on the iranians' nuclear program. These negotiations resulted in a atomaftale in 2015.

The us president, Donald Trump, drew, however, the UNITED states out of the agreement in 2018 and the reintroduction of the sanctions against Iran.

/ritzau/dpa