Jason Rezaian Returns to U.S., Chicago-Area Friends Celebrate

By Wendy Widom

(CBS) — As freed Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian heads back to the United States after spending more than 500 days in Iran's Evin prison, his friends from high school in the Chicago suburbs are celebrating.

Jason attended Wheaton Central High School for two years before moving back to San Francisco. Every day during his incarceration in Iran, a former classmate, Matt Brandseth, posted a plea for his friend on Facebook, along with the hashtag #FreeJason.

Today Matt tells CBS2 that he and two other friends celebrated Jason's release by getting together:

After the news of Jason's release broke, it was almost immediate that his old crew from his time in Wheaton, IL began contacting each other. We were all overjoyed, and we all had the same idea to meet up, catch up, and reminisce about Jason.

The location choice was easy: Jason's (and our) favorite restaurant in Wheaton, El Zarape at West and Main. The restaurant owner came by to chat as he does for almost all patrons, and we told him about Jason being a big fan of the restaurant. He knew of the prisoner swap story and was delighted to learn of Jason's affinity for his establishment.

He brought us free shots of tequila to toast to Jason's freedom. As we chatted through dinner the owner yelled across the dining room, "Look, it's your buddy!" In an amazing coincidence, the Anthony Bourdain episode of Parts Unknown about Iran that featured an interview with Jason and his wife was airing on CNN. It made a special night feel that much more ethereal.

Since the prisoners' release, the U.S. and European nations have lifted oil and financial sanctions on Iran, saying that Iran has followed through on its promises to dismantle large sections of its nuclear program.