Father: Reporter Saberi on Hunger Strike in Tehran Prison
04/25/09By VOA News
The
father of an imprisoned Iranian-American journalist in Tehran says she has gone
on a hunger strike to protest her eight-year jail sentence for espionage.
Reza Saberi said Saturday his daughter, Roxana, is on her fifth day of a hunger
strike and will continue to refuse food until Iranian authorities release her
from prison.
Saberi's lawyer, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, appealed her sentence
earlier in the day.
An Iranian court sentenced the 31-year-old journalist on April 18 after she was
convicted during an internationally criticized closed-door trial. The U.S. State
Department says the spying charges are baseless.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said he will not intervene in the
Saberi case. But he has called on the judiciary to ensure that Saberi is allowed
a full defense during the appeal process. And the head of Iran's judiciary has
ordered a "quick" and "fair" appeal.
Saberi's parents have visited the imprisoned journalist, and they said she
seemed to be in good health.
This case comes at a time when U.S. President Barack Obama is seeking a dialogue
with Iran to ease decades of mistrust between the two countries.
Saberi worked as a freelance journalist in Iran for U.S. and British news
outlets. She was arrested in late January for allegedly working in the country
without valid press credentials. Her father says Iranian officials tricked her
into making incriminating statements by telling her that doing so would enable
her release.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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Acclaimed Iran
Director Says 'Saberi Is My Fiancee'
The high-profile case of a young
Iranian-American woman sentenced by Iran to a lengthy prison term for
alleged espionage took an unexpected twist when an acclaimed Iranian
filmmaker stepped forward to vouch for her innocence and say his "fiancee
and companion" had stayed in the country at his urging. |
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