Roxana Saberi receives eight-year prison sentence from Iranian government
Correction appended
Roxana Saberi, the journalist and Northwestern alumna detained in Iran in January, has been sentenced to eight years in prison, according to an update from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Saberi’s case has been receiving increasing attention in the American media. A recent New York Times editorial criticized Iran’s lack of transparency in dealing with Saberi, who was reportedly arrested for reporting with expired press credentials. Saberi’s trial was closed and lasted only a day.
While Saberi continues to fight her charges, she is still imprisoned, and living in what her family and other journalists say are horrible conditions.
Northwestern President Henry Bienen and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are among the public figures who have advocated for Saberi’s release. A petition from the CPJ has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
Updated 4/18 2:00 p.m: The original version of this article stated Saberi was first detained in March. She was actually detained in January. Thanks to commenter fact check for the correction.
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And if it turns out that she is a spy and Iran is completely justified?
As far as we all know, this could be the truth of the situation.
Anonymous
April 18, 2009 at 12:21 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8006561.stm
R
April 18, 2009 at 7:09 pm
If she confessed being a spy…well that is serious..but if they were made her to do so .. poor her… i think she will left alone there ..
rina
April 18, 2009 at 8:26 pm
It would be a huge waste for Iran to let this high profile case end in a such a manner. I see it as this: she’s sentenced, an appeal is entered, an Iranian higher up comes in, saves the day, earns cred for himself, Obama praises this, and relationships begin to thaw.
bustin
April 19, 2009 at 1:59 pm