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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
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Saberi: I Confessed After 'Severe Mental Pressure'

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(Newser) – Roxana Saberi tells NPR that she falsely confessed to being a spy because she was under "severe psychological and mental pressure" from Iranian authorities. Saberi says she wasn't physically tortured in prison, but she was subjected to hours of interrogation and threatened with a 20-year prison sentence or execution if she didn't confess. She did so, then recanted, and quickly got sentenced to 8 years anyway. Saberi's back in the US now after a judge modified the sentence.

The 32-year-old journalist says she was working on a book about Iranian culture and had no classified documents as prosecutors claimed. Authorities initially forced her to lie to her parents about her arrest, thus leading to the false claim of being caught for buying alcohol. She also explains why she stopped her hunger strike: her mother threatened to go on one herself if she didn't eat.

Roxana Saberi, upon arriving back in the US last week.
Roxana Saberi, upon arriving back in the US last week.   (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
Roxana Saberi arrives at the airport in Schwechat, Austria, on Friday, May 15.
Roxana Saberi arrives at the airport in Schwechat, Austria, on Friday, May 15.   (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
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Until this day, I'm still not sure what they arrested me for. It wasn't for buying alcohol; it wasn't for reporting without a press pass. - Roxana Saberi

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4 comments
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Reader68188988
May 28, 09 6:07 PM CDT
I believe if the Iranians had used harsh techniques, the truth would have come out of this terrorists lips. Its been proven, if only the documents would be revealed to the public. Reply
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ethical_person
May 29, 09 10:19 AM CDT
Are you just stupid, or what? Go away.
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Robert_Dada
May 28, 09 6:10 PM CDT
Isn't it ironic that when you replace the words 'spy' and 'Iranian' with the words 'terrorist' and 'US' in the first paragraph, it still rings true? Nice to know what we allowed ourselves to become during the past administration - on a par with Iran on some policy. Reply
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radnip
Jun 4, 09 5:35 PM CDT
And mostly, we still like being that country from the previous administration. Most Americans don't really care about torture. It's a non-issue, which is interesting in itself. Reply
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