<p>A US court on Friday ordered the government of Iran to pay nearly $180 million in damages to an Iranian-American journalist who was jailed by Tehran on espionage charges in 2014.</p>.<p>A US District Court judge ordered the damages be paid to Jason Rezaian and his family in compensation for pain and suffering as well as economic loss for the 18-month detention, when he was physically abused, deprived of sleep and medical care and threatened with execution.</p>.<p>The decision is largely symbolic. Iran did not answer the lawsuit, according to Rezaian's employer The Washington Post, and the Islamic republic is not expected to pay the damages.</p>.<p>The Iranian-American Rezaian was the Post's Tehran correspondent when he was arrested, and spent 544 days in an Iranian prison, a pawn in an international chess match that resulted with his release in January 2016 in exchange for seven Iranians held in the United States.</p>.<p>His Iranian-born wife Yeganah was arrested with him but released after two months. The couple were caught up in a power struggle among Iran's leadership over the country's nuclear deal and Tehran's relations with the West.</p>.<p>The court ordered Iran to pay Rezaian $23.8 million for pain and suffering and economic losses, his brother Ali $2.7 million, and their mother Mary $3.1 million for similar claims.</p>.<p>Iran was to pay an additional $150 million in punitive damages to the family as a whole.</p>.<p>"The Rezaians presented evidence showing that Iran arrested and detained Jason to increase its bargaining leverage in ongoing negotiations with the United States," Judge Richard Leon said in a 30-page opinion.</p>.<p>"Holding a man hostage and torturing him to gain leverage in negotiations with the United States is outrageous, deserving of punishment and surely in need of deterrence," he added.</p>.<p>Rezaian and three other Americans were released on January 16, 2016, the day the nuclear agreement that was signed in Vienna six months earlier went into force.</p>
<p>A US court on Friday ordered the government of Iran to pay nearly $180 million in damages to an Iranian-American journalist who was jailed by Tehran on espionage charges in 2014.</p>.<p>A US District Court judge ordered the damages be paid to Jason Rezaian and his family in compensation for pain and suffering as well as economic loss for the 18-month detention, when he was physically abused, deprived of sleep and medical care and threatened with execution.</p>.<p>The decision is largely symbolic. Iran did not answer the lawsuit, according to Rezaian's employer The Washington Post, and the Islamic republic is not expected to pay the damages.</p>.<p>The Iranian-American Rezaian was the Post's Tehran correspondent when he was arrested, and spent 544 days in an Iranian prison, a pawn in an international chess match that resulted with his release in January 2016 in exchange for seven Iranians held in the United States.</p>.<p>His Iranian-born wife Yeganah was arrested with him but released after two months. The couple were caught up in a power struggle among Iran's leadership over the country's nuclear deal and Tehran's relations with the West.</p>.<p>The court ordered Iran to pay Rezaian $23.8 million for pain and suffering and economic losses, his brother Ali $2.7 million, and their mother Mary $3.1 million for similar claims.</p>.<p>Iran was to pay an additional $150 million in punitive damages to the family as a whole.</p>.<p>"The Rezaians presented evidence showing that Iran arrested and detained Jason to increase its bargaining leverage in ongoing negotiations with the United States," Judge Richard Leon said in a 30-page opinion.</p>.<p>"Holding a man hostage and torturing him to gain leverage in negotiations with the United States is outrageous, deserving of punishment and surely in need of deterrence," he added.</p>.<p>Rezaian and three other Americans were released on January 16, 2016, the day the nuclear agreement that was signed in Vienna six months earlier went into force.</p>