World

Roxana Saberi, Jailed for Spying, Appeals Sentence

by Rachel Nixon | April 21, 2009 at 08:33 am

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Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who last week was jailed by Tehran for spying, is set to appeal against her eight-year sentence.

Judiciary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi said he hoped the verdict against U.S.-born Roxana Saberi would be changed, the official IRNA news agency reported, without elaborating.

The news follows a statement from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad who said that Saberi should have the right to defend herself. And on Monday the judiciary called for a quick and fair appeal.

Saberi's father Reza said he could not confirm the appeal had been lodged but that he saw "positive steps toward justice" in the case and hoped his daughter would be released.

Her lawyer said on Monday that he would appeal next week and that he was optimistic that her sentence would be cut or overturned.

IRNA quoted Jamshidi, the judiciary spokesman, as saying:
"Saberi has appealed and I hope that the appeal court will change the verdict...The appeal court will issue its verdict in an appropriate time."

Saberi, a citizen of both the United States and Iran, was arrested for working in the Islamic state after her press credentials had expired. She was later charged with espionage.