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Iran charges US 'spy' journalist

by Barbara McPherson | April 8, 2009 at 01:01 pm

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An Iranian-American journalist,Roxana Saberi, held in a Tehran prison since January will be facing charges of spying next week. Her defence lawyer has not been allowed to see the legal papers pertaining to her case. The trial will take place in a revolutionary court.
The prosecutor, Hassan Haddad, claims that Saberi has confessed to spying. If convicted, she faces a death penalty.

Iranian prosecutors have charged an Iranian-American journalist with spying, a move likely to further strain Tehran's relationship with Washington.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said on Wednesday that the US was "deeply concerned" about the news and called for Roxana Saberi's immediate release.

Abdolsamad Khoramshahi, Saberi's lawyer, said that the journalist had been informed of the charges against her and was to appear in court next week.

Khorramshahi said he could not comment on the accusation of spying as he had not been allowed to see the legal papers.

Saberi, an American citizen whose father is Iranian, has lived in Iran for the past six years and has reported from Tehran for the BBC and for America's National Public Radio.

A few years ago a woman,Canadian journalist of Iranian ancestry died while in Iranian custody. The authorities claimed that she fell.

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Ravinwood_777

at 16:17 on April 8th, 2009

Why on Earth would any rational thinking human being take anything Iran claims at face value, as any kind of truth (there is no truth in them to began with). Obviously, these are nothing more than trumped up charges against what the Muslims consider an inferior species ( a woman) i believe it's strictly for propaganda purposes and some world recognition too .