Iran
American journalist charged with spyingPosted Apr 21 2009
Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, has been charged with spying for the United States, an Iranian Revolutionary Court judge announced April 10. She had been detained at the Evin prison in Tehran since February.
Earlier, the Iranian officials had said that Saberi was arrested in connection with working without press credentials in Iran. Saberi’s parents, who arrived in Iran to seek her release, were informed that she was arrested for buying a bottle of wine, AP reports. She holds a dual U.S. and Iranian citizenship. Saberi has been living in Iran for six years, working as a stringer for news organizations such as the National Public Radio (NPR) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). According to the New York Times, Saberi’s trial began on April 13 ‘in secret’ and the verdict is expected within two weeks.
Reporters Without Borders reports that deputy prosecutor Hassan Zare Dehnavi said, “Saberi has admitted the charges against her.”
Journalists arrested on similar charges include Siamak Pourzand (in 2000), Hossein Ghazian (in 2004), Parnaz Azima (in 2006), Mehrnoushe Solouki (in 2007) and Yosef Azizi Banitrof (in 2008), according to the Reporters Without Borders Web site. In 2003, Canadian-Iranian press photographer Zahra Kazemi died while in detention at the Evin prison.
More information
- Reporters Without Borders
- The New York Times