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Iran Jails US Journo for Spying

Dual citizen slapped with 8-year sentence on 'baseless' spy charges

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 18, 2009 7:02 AM CDT
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(Newser) – An Iranian-American journalist has been sentenced to 8 years in jail on spying charges that the US says are baseless, the BBC reports. Roxana Saberi, 31, was charged with buying alcohol without a license when she was first arrested in January, then with working without a press card, before Iranian authorities upgraded the charges against her to spying and convicted her in a closed-door trial this week.

Saberi, a former Miss North Dakota whose father is Iranian and mother is Japanese, had been working as a freelance journalist in Iran since 2003, for outlets including NPR, the BBC, and Fox News, and studying for her third masters degree. Her one-day trial does not seem to have been reported in Iranian media, a BBC correspondent notes. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanded Saberi's immediate release earlier this week and Saberi's lawyer plans to appeal the sentence.

Reza Saberi holds a picture of his daughter Roxana in his Fargo, N.D. home.
Reza Saberi holds a picture of his daughter Roxana in his Fargo, N.D. home.   (AP Photo/The Forum, Jay Pickthorn)
Roxana Saberi , an American-Iranian journalist and former Miss North Dakota, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison by an Iranian court.
Roxana Saberi , an American-Iranian journalist and former Miss North Dakota, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison by an Iranian court.   (AP Photo/The Miss North Dakota Pageant)
US journalist Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was convicted of spying and sentenced to eight years in prison by an Iranian court Saturday April 18, 2009.
US journalist Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was convicted of spying and sentenced to eight years in prison by an Iranian court Saturday April 18, 2009.   (AP Photo/NPPA)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
kokuaguy
Apr 18, 2009 5:04 AM CDT
Obviously these fools see her as some kind of bargaining chip. This may turn out to be as costly for Iran as the decision to hold the U.S. embassy hostages in the 1970s.
drlarrymitchell
Apr 18, 2009 2:08 AM CDT
Gee, I hope they she doesn't get waterboarded...because the Republicans would think that it's...OKAY.
Mad
Apr 18, 2009 1:44 AM CDT
Watch for this to turn out to be significant later

Saberi's arrest shocked former BBC colleagues
BBC

World • US

 
Iran • espionage • journalist • spying • Roxana Saberi

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