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Mr. Bahari’s case might be of limited interest save for one thing: the regime denying him his most basic rights is an aspiring nuclear power. If Iran can so easily become a totalitarian caricature, imprisoning journalists and mostly peaceful protesters, what else is it capable of?

This is more than a rhetorical question. The United States and several partner countries are preparing for talks with Iran. Tehran ultimately wants to continue enriching uranium, and this will only be acceptable if the world can verify that no nuclear material is being diverted to a weapons program. Verification will be difficult, however, if international inspectors could at any moment be accused of spying and taken prisoner.