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|title=Iran: Possible prisoner of conscience: Roxana Saberi (f)
|title=Iran: Possible prisoner of conscience: Roxana Saberi (f)
|publisher=[[Amnesty International]]
|publisher=[[Amnesty International]]
|date=2009-03-16}}</ref>, [[Human Rights Watch]],<ref>{{cite web
|date=2009-03-16}}</ref> [[Human Rights Watch]],<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/13/iran-illegal-detention-iranian-american-journalist
|url=http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/13/iran-illegal-detention-iranian-american-journalist
|title=Iran: Illegal Detention of Iranian-American Journalist
|title=Iran: Illegal Detention of Iranian-American Journalist
|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]] website
|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]] website
|date=2009-03-13
|date=2009-03-13
|accessdate=2009-04-09}}</ref>, AAJA <ref>{{cite web
|accessdate=2009-04-09}}</ref> AAJA,<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.aaja.org/news/Headliners/2009_03_04_01/
|url=http://www.aaja.org/news/Headliners/2009_03_04_01/
|title=AAJA Calls for Release of Journalist Detained in Iran
|title=AAJA Calls for Release of Journalist Detained in Iran
|date=2009-03-04}}</ref>, [[Committee to Protect Journalists]],<ref>{{citeweb
|date=2009-03-04}}</ref> [[Committee to Protect Journalists]],<ref>{{citeweb
|url=http://www.cpj.org/tags/saberi
|url=http://www.cpj.org/tags/saberi
|title=Saberi, Roxana
|title=Saberi, Roxana

Revision as of 13:56, 18 April 2009

Template:Current court case

Roxana Saberi
Born
Roxana Saberi

1977 (age 47–48)
Fargo, North Dakota, United States
StatusJailed in Iran(espionage)
EducationConcordia College
Northwestern University
Cambridge University
OccupationJournalist
Notable credit(s)Miss North Dakota, 1997
FamilyFather: Reza Saberi (Iran)
Mother: Akiko Saberi (Japan)
WebsiteRoxanaSaberi.com

Roxana Saberi, (Persian: رکسانا صابری, Japanese: ロクサナ・サベリ) age 31, is an Iranian-Japanese American journalist, who was arrested in Iran in February, 2009, initially for the purchase of a bottle of wine which is banned under Islamic laws. [1] [2] Charged with working as a reporter without press credentials, which were revoked in 2006; on 8 April 2009, the Iranian Government charged Saberi with espionage, and she was subsequently sentenced to an eight-year prison term.[3][4][5][6]

Her plight is being followed by Amnesty International,[7] Human Rights Watch,[8] AAJA,[9] Committee to Protect Journalists,[10] Society of Prof. Journalists, UNITY Journalists of Color.[11]

Biography

Early life

Saberi was born and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, the daughter of Reza Saberi, who was born in Iran, and Akiko Saberi, who is from Japan. Graduating with honors from Fargo North High School in 1994, Roxana played piano and soccer, and took part in Key Club and danceline.[12] Saberi was inducted into the schools hall of Fame in 2007.[12]

She graduated in 1997 from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota with degrees in communication and French. Saberi also played for the Cobbers soccer team in both the 1994 and 1996 season.[13]

Chosen as Miss North Dakota in 1997,[13] she was among the top ten finalists in Miss America 1998, winning the Scholar Award.[12] Saberi holds her first Master's Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University and her second Master's Degree in International Relations from Cambridge University.[12] She is currently working on another Masters degree in Iranian studies and international relations.

Career

Saberi works a freelance journalist, who moved to Iran six years ago. After briefly reporting for the BBC in 2006, she has since reported for Fox News, NPR and other news organizations.[5]

Accusation of spying

Saberi's father reported that he last heard from her on February 10, 2009, and that she reported being held in detention for 10 days at that time. Saberi halds both Iranian and US citizenship, although the Iranian authorities do not recognise dual nationality and were believed to be treating her as one of their own nationals.[14]

Saberi was arrested in February, 2009, believed initially for the purchase of a bottle of wine which is banned under Islamic law.[1] [2] Saberi was first charged on March 2, with working as a reporter without press credentials, which were revoked in 2006.[15]

On March 13, a number of international news organisations wrote an open letter to the Iranian Government, calling on Iran to allow independent access to Saberi. Signatories included: president of NPR, Vivian Schiller; president of ABC News, David Westin; Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Robert Thomson; John Stack of FoxNews; and World Editor at the BBC, Jon Williams. The open letter expresses deep concern about Ms Saberi's well-being and "the deprivation of her rights:"[16][17]

We now ask that one or more international organizations that have responsibilities and rights under the Geneva Conventions be permitted access to Roxana immediately to ascertain her health and well-being and to determine the conditions under which she is held. If no charges are filed, we now urge her immediate release and ask that she be given permission to return to her home country, the United States.

After a month long period of captivity, on March 13, a family attorney was allowed to see Saberi and she was allowed to call her family.[15] On March 18, marking 47 days of detention, the Saberi family called on Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to intervene ahead of the Persian Nowruz holiday.[18] The US administration expressed its concern at Ms Saberi's detention, dismissing allegations against her as "baseless." US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has demanded her release.[19]

On April 6, her parents were allowed a 30minute visit to Saberi in the notorious Evin Prison, where she was being held.[20] On April 8, the Iranian Government charged Saberi with espionage.[3][4] On April 18, according to her lawyer Abdolsamad Khorramshahi speaking to Reuters, "Saberi has been sentenced to eight years in jail. I'll definitely appeal the verdict."[5][6][21]

Switzerland represents United States interests in Iran, as Tehran and Washington DC do not presently have diplomatic relations. US State Department spokesman Robert Wood raised questions about the transparency of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Court judicial system, commenting that a Swiss representative was not allowed in the courtroom during Saberi's trial.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Daughter Now Suicidal [[Iran]]". Retrieved 2009-03-24. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  2. ^ a b "American Journalist Arrested In Iran". Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  3. ^ a b "Iran Charges Detained American Reporter With Espionage [[Iran]]". Retrieved 2009-04-08. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  4. ^ a b Nazila Fathi (2009-04-18). "American Journalist Stands Trial in Iran". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  5. ^ a b c "Iran jails journalist as US spy". BBC News. 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  6. ^ a b c "Iran jails U.S.-Iranian reporter for 8 years". Washington Post. 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  7. ^ "Iran: Possible prisoner of conscience: Roxana Saberi (f)". Amnesty International. 2009-03-16.
  8. ^ "Iran: Illegal Detention of Iranian-American Journalist". Human Rights Watch website. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  9. ^ "AAJA Calls for Release of Journalist Detained in Iran". 2009-03-04.
  10. ^ "Saberi, Roxana". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  11. ^ "UNITY Calls for Immediate Release of Journalist Roxana Saberi". UNITY website. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  12. ^ a b c d "2007 Hall of Fame". Fargo North High School. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  13. ^ a b "Roxana Saberi". Concordia College. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  14. ^ "Iran confirms reporter detention". BBC News. 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  15. ^ a b "Iran 'holds unlicensed' reporter". BBC News. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  16. ^ "MAJOR WORLDWIDE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS PRESS FOR INFORMATION REGARDING AMERICAN JOURNALIST ROXANA SABERI BEING HELD IN IRAN". NPR. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  17. ^ "Broadcasters urge Saberi access". BBC News. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  18. ^ Henry Newman and Coco Ferguson (2009-03-25). "Iran must free Roxana Saberi". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  19. ^ "Clinton concern for Iran reporter". BBC News. 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  20. ^ "Parents visit captive journalist". BBC News. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  21. ^ "Iran sentences US reporter to 8 years in jail". The Times of India. 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
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