Akiko Saberi

Roxana appears to break down as her mother pulls her closeThis is the emotional moment a U.S.-born journalist was reunited with her mother as she walked free from an Iranian court that had overturned her eight-year jail sentence for spying.Roxana Saberi, 32, had been convicted of spying for the U.S. in Iran and sentenced to eight years behind bars.But an Iranian appeal court cut the former Miss North Dakota's sentence to a suspended two-year term - a move welcomed by Barack Obama as a...Read Full Story

Perhaps Roxana should realize this is not the right time - the Iran of her father's time - is at best suppressed - at worst almost forgotten. It is an Islamic police state. A place which enforces the religious views of the few. And those few - want to enforce their view on the world - under their 'Islamic Revolution'. What can she tell us - that some people in Iran object to this. These people with little power - some of whom sat in prison next to her. Then we will believe her. But Iran is...Read Full Story

The controversial former beauty queen and American journalist, Roxana Saberi has been freed from prison after four months in a Tehran prison and two weeks of hunger strike. She was accused of spying for a "hostile" nation (Iran's words), the United States of America. The news comes after the decision of an Iranian appeals court to reduce her original eight-year sentence for spying. Her lawyer says she shed tears of relief at the news. Friends and supporters of jailed U.S.-Iranian journalist...Read Full Story

(Enlarge)*Two Christian women were arrested March 5 by Iranian security forces accused of being “anti-government activists,”* Iran holds the No. 3 spot in a list of countries with the world’s worst persecution of Christians. [Iran might think it has to try harder - to reach #1 - as not to be outdone in the Islamic world]* The Iranian Parliament gave its initial approval last year to a bill that would punish apostasy with death.While people rejoice in the release of U.S.-born journalist Roxana...Read Full Story

Two US women journalists will go on trial in North Korea at 3 pm (0600 GMT) Thursday, state media reported, on charges that could send them to a labour camp.TV reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee were detained by North Korean border guards on March 17 while researching a story about refugees fleeing the hardline communist state.Pyongyang previously said they would face trial for "hostile acts" and illegally entering the country.The Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that the two would be...Read Full Story

Journalist Roxana Saberi, who spent four months in an Iranian prison on espionage charges, said in her first in-depth interview that she initially confessed to being a spy but later recanted.In remarks to National Public Radio News, Saberi, 32, said her confession was forced and that she believes her decision to recant prompted the Iranian prosecutor to send her case to trial instead of allowing her to go free."My confession was false and I thought I had to fabricate it to save myself," she...Read Full Story

In past posts you've heard me talk about journalist Roxana Saberi and just in case you haven't heard - Saberi was set free this week and plans to return back to the states:"Roxana Saberi, the US-Iranian journalist released from jail in Iran on Monday, has thanked all those who helped to win her freedom," the BBC reported on Tuesday. She was freed after four months in prison when an eight-year term on charges of spying for the US was cut. She denied the charges. Speaking publicly for the first...Read Full Story

TEHRAN (Reuters) - U.S.-born journalist Roxana Saberi left Iran for Europe early on Friday, days after being acquitted on charges of spying for the United States, one of her defense lawyers said.Saberi was well, but upset at leaving Iran, and planned to go on to the United States from Europe, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi told Reuters.U.S.-based National Public Radio reported on its website, monitored in London, that the 32-year-old freelance reporter was flying to Austria with her parents.Saberi...Read Full Story

A film co-scripted by U.S.-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi won a prize in one of the Cannes Film Festival competitions on Saturday."No One Knows About Persian Cats" won a special jury prize in the festival's Un Certain Regard competition.The film is a lively look at Tehran's underground music scene and the risk of censorship and jail faced by Iranian musicians.Saberi shares a screenplay credit on the film, which was directed and-co-written by her romantic partner, Bahman Ghobadi."Dogtooth...Read Full Story

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said two U.S. journalists jailed in North Korea had been granted access to Sweden's ambassador to Pyongyang on Friday, a move likely to be seen as a positive gesture by the North."The Swedish ambassador to North Korea, acting as the United States' protecting power, met with each of the two detained American citizen journalists on May 15," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.The ambassador had previously met with them on March 30, Kelly...Read Full Story