U.S. journalist jailed in Iran goes on hunger strike

Sunday 26th April, 06:39 AM JST

TEHRAN —

An American journalist jailed in Iran for allegedly spying for the U.S. was on her fifth day of a hunger strike Saturday and does not plan to stop until she is freed, her father said.

Roxana Saberi, a dual American-Iranian citizen who will turn 32 on Sunday, was convicted more than a week ago and sentenced to eight years in prison after a swift, one-day trial behind closed doors. She began her hunger strike Tuesday to protest her imprisonment, her father said.

“She said that she has started a hunger strike and this is the fifth day and that she will continue until she is free. I tried to tell her that this can be dangerous, but she didn’t give me any time to protest,” her father, Reza Saberi, told The Associated Press.

The case has been a source of tension between the United States and Iran at a time when the Obama administration has said it wants to engage its longtime adversary. The U.S. has called the accusations against Saberi baseless and demanded her release.

Saberi’s father said her lawyer appealed the court’s ruling on Saturday—less than a week after Iran’s judiciary spokesman said an Iranian appeals court would reconsider her verdict, an indication her sentence could be commuted.

Iran’s judiciary chief has ordered a full investigation into the case, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has urged Tehran’s chief prosecutor to ensure Saberi be allowed a full defense during her appeal.

Saberi was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But earlier this month, an Iranian judge leveled the far more serious allegation of espionage.

Saberi, who was born in the United States and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, moved to Iran six years ago and worked as a freelance journalist for news organizations including National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp. She received Iranian citizenship because her father was born in Iran.

Saberi’s parents have traveled to Iran from their home in Fargo in a bid to help win their daughter’s release. Her father has said his daughter, who was Miss North Dakota in 1997, had been working on a book about the culture and people of Iran, and hoped to finish it and return to the United States this year.

Reza Saberi said he hoped to see his daughter in prison on Monday and was concerned about her health.

“After five days, I am pretty certain that she must be very weak now, because we know she is already frail,” he said.

Iran has released few details about the charges against Saberi, but Iran’s Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi said Tuesday that the initial investigation of Saberi was done by an expert on security and counterespionage at the Intelligence Ministry before her case was referred to the court.

An Iranian investigative judge involved in the case also alleged that Saberi was passing classified information to U.S. intelligence services.

The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution and the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by hard-line Iranian students. The Obama administration has said it is working with Swiss intermediaries who represent U.S. interests in Iran to secure her release.

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Latest 15 of 18 Total Comments Show All

jeancolmar at 01:37 PM JST - 26th April

I am for Roxana. I doubt she is a spy. Iran should free her as a good will gesture.
spudman at 02:14 PM JST - 26th April

have they waterboarded her to get an admission of being a spy? maybe thats next. US has no principles to stand on. myabe US citizens should stay at home
timorborder at 06:41 PM JST - 26th April

Politics, politics. Iran will only let this go so far before it makes some form of concession. Having this lass die while a guest of the state would seriously blot its copy book with the US and even the Europeans. Japan would also be quick to condemn any such event as well.

With regard to whether this girl is guilty or not,　I get the impression that Iran has confused her duties as a journalist with those of an intelligence officer. Furthermore, here client list (the BBC and NPR in the US) represent the creme of the journalistic craft. Perhaps Iran's real displeasure lies with these organizations and their ability to ask uncomfortable questions.
SezWho2 at 08:36 PM JST - 26th April

I don't think that intelligence professionals routinely list all their clients.

Saberi may be entirely innocent. However, that she is a stringer for the BBC and for NPR would in no way compromises her ability to ply spycraft. It would only makes her cover better.

Innocent or guilty, Saberi will probably be the beneficiary of some deal-making. And Iran will have made its point.
nandakandamanda at 08:56 PM JST - 26th April

Well, 8 years will make her 40, so they have very cleverly just about removed any possibility of her having children in this lifetime.
SezWho2 at 09:35 PM JST - 26th April

Well, 8 years will make her 40, so they have very cleverly just about removed any possibility of her having children in this lifetime.

I think it more likely that you have calculated a release age and cleverly related it to fecundity. I don't think there is any evidence that Iran is interested in denying Saberi a child.
nandakandamanda at 09:44 PM JST - 26th April

SezWho2, well, from her point of view they have just taken away the possibility of her meeting someone and procreating. Deliberately, or thoughtlessly. Either way. Not surprised she is on hunger strike.
SezWho2 at 10:40 PM JST - 26th April

nandakandamanda,

I think that's your point of view of her point of view. No?
nandakandamanda at 10:42 PM JST - 26th April

SezWho2, yup, you got it in a nutshell! :8)
SuperLib at 01:28 AM JST - 27th April

What a bunch of thugs.
SezWho2 at 09:37 AM JST - 27th April

SuperLib,

They are thugs because...

...you know Saberi to be innocent? ...Iran tried and convicted Saberi in secrecy? ...Iran has so far refused to force-feed Saberi?
SuperLib at 12:41 PM JST - 27th April

Yep, I think Saberi is innocent and the Iranians are a bunch of thugs. If that bothers you, then so be it.
teleprompter at 12:50 PM JST - 27th April

Innocent or guilty, Saberi will probably be the beneficiary of some deal-making. And Iran will have made its point.

Yes, that they think Obama is another Jimmy Carter.

I'm inclined to agree.
SezWho2 at 05:20 PM JST - 27th April

SuperLib,

It doesn't bother me at all. I'm just curious as to your evidence that Saberi is innocent. Because she's a woman? Because she's pretty? Because she's an American? Because all of her neighbors agree that she couldn't possibly be an intelligence agent?

I don't know if Saberi is guilty or innocent. But I don't think I'd accuse anyone of thuggery just because they tried and convicted an accused spy. Can you think of any country that would not convict a spy--barring those who wouldn't even bother with a trial?
Helter_Skelter at 03:41 PM JST - 28th April

Saberi, who was born in the United States and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, moved to Iran six years ago

That was her first mistake.