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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | ||
| Iran charges detained US reporter with spying | ||
| 2009-04-09 | ||
“Her case has been sent to the revolutionary court. She, without press credentials, was carrying out spying activities under the guise of being a reporter,” Haddad was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency. “The evidence is mentioned in her case papers and she has accepted all the charges. She has been arrested under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Saberi, who also holds both US and Iranian nationalities, was initially reportedly detained for buying alcohol which is prohibited in the Islamic republic.
Haddad said on Wednesday that Saberi had entered Iran as an “Iranian citizen.” “She has an Iranian citizenship, passport and an Iranian national identity card. She has entered Iran as an Iranian citizen and if she has another citizenship, we are unaware of it and it has no effect on how we will proceed with her case,” he said. “There is no evidence that she has another citizenship and the investigation is still on.” US-born Saberi has reported for US-based National Public Radio (NPR), the BBC and Fox News, and had been living in Iran for six years. Her parents, Reza and Akiko Saberi, arrived in Tehran on Sunday to pursue her case. They had a 20-minute meeting with her in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison on Monday. Her father told NPR on Tuesday that he planned to stay in Iran until her case was resolved. He said Roxana, 31, was surprised by their visit, and that she looked pale and weak but was in good spirits. He said she also wanted to see her lawyer “to point out ... that apparently some of the statements were made under pressure, under threat, you know. So that they were not valid.” Iran, which does not recognize dual nationality and has had no ties with the United States for three decades, has detained several Iranian-Americans, including academics, in recent years. | ||
| Posted by:Steve White |