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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran has released imprisoned Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, her lawyer said Monday.

Attorney Abdolsamad Khorramshahi said a prison official told him shortly before 6 p.m. Monday (9:30 a.m. ET) that Saberi had been freed.

She did not go out the main gate, where reporters and others waited to see her.

Earlier, her father, Reza Saberi, said her release was imminent, and that he had signed paperwork.

"We are very happy with the news," he told CNN. "We were hoping for it."

Iran's state-run news agency IRNA, citing a judiciary spokesman, reported that the verdict against Roxana Saberi was "reversed in the appeal court and she is to be freed."

Saberi, 32, was convicted last month on espionage charges in a one-day trial that was closed to the public. She was sentenced to eight years in prison. She denies the charges.

Her sentence has been changed to a two-year jail term suspended for five years, IRNA reported.


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State-run Press TV, citing "officials close to the case," reported that the suspended sentence "will be automatically abolished if Saberi shows no unlawful conduct in the next five years."

"So, practically, she is free as of today," Reza Saberi said.

The family will return to the United States "as soon as we can make arrangements for the trip," he said.

The change came a day after Iran's court of appeals held a five-hour session on the case.

The court agreed with Saberi's lawyers that Iran is not at war with the United States -- and that therefore Saberi cannot be punished for cooperating with agents of a nation at war with Iran, according to Saberi's spokesman Abdolsamad Khorramshahi.

Saberi was detained in January after initially being accused of buying a bottle of wine and working as a journalist without proper accreditation, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, an advocacy group.

Saberi has lived in Iran since 2003 and reported for international news organizations, including National Public Radio, the BBC and ABC News until her press credentials were revoked in 2006, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. She continued to file short news items, according to NPR.

"Without press credentials and under the name of being a reporter, she was carrying out espionage activities," Hassan Haddad, a deputy public prosecutor, told the Iranian Student's News Agency.

Authorities said Saberi confessed. Her father has said he thinks she was coerced into making damaging statements.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter last month to Tehran's prosecutor calling for justice in the cases of Saberi and another detained journalist, Hossein Derakhshan, state-run news agency IRNA reported. Derakhshan is an Iranian-Canadian blogger who has been imprisoned in the country since November.

Reporters Without Borders, a group that fights for journalists' rights worldwide, says Derakhshan was sentenced to four years in prison for disseminating the views of one ayatollah and for "publicity against the government."

Saberi went on a two-week hunger strike to protest her detention, but ended it last Monday after her parents visited her in prison and pleaded with her to stop, Reza Saberi told CNN.

At one point during the hunger strike, she was hospitalized and fed intravenously, her father said. "She was very desperate to get out. ... She was quite relieved to know that the whole world is supporting her."

Saberi's case has prompted denunciations from President Obama, as well as other U.S. and international officials.

The whole experience has been "very depressing" for her, and she has gone through a great deal of frustration, Saberi's father said Monday. "It will take some time before she can overcome it."

He added, "it's not the (Iranian) people -- they are very friendly. We don't understand why it happened."

Well, that's great news. I'm happy for her family. I hope she gets out of there though.

Great. Can't wait to hear/see what she has to say about her ordeal with Islamic dogs when she is out of the country.

Great news. I heard it this morning on NPR.

Roxana Saberi released from jail

Mon, 11 May 2009

Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who had been accused of involvement in acts of espionage, has been released from Tehran's Evin prison.

The release came just one day after a Tehran court of appeals reduced her eight-year jail sentence to a two-year suspended term, Press TV's correspondent reported on Monday.

Saberi, 32, is a freelance journalist who was initially detained in late January for working in Iran after her press credentials had expired.

She was later sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of spying for the government of the United States.

However, earlier on Sunday Saberi's lawyer expressed optimism about the verdict after her case was heard in a Tehran court of appeals.

"I am optimistic that fundamental changes would be made to the sentence," Roxana's lawyer, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, was quoted by IRNA as saying on Sunday. "The verdict is to be issued this coming week."

Saleh Nikbakht, another one of Saberi's lawyers, on Monday said, "The verdict of the previous court has been canceled. Her punishment has been changed to a suspended two-year sentence and she will be out of prison today."

Saberi has lived in Iran for six years and has reported as a freelancer for the BBC and National Public Radio and other media outlets.

American officials, including President Barack Obama, had dismissed the charges against her as baseless and repeatedly called on Iranian authorities to release Roxana.

"She is an American citizen, and I have complete confidence that she was not engaging in any sort of espionage," the US president said.

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?i...onid=351020101

Toofan had posted in the fun forum. So, I moved it here and merged the two threads.

Toofan had posted in the fun forum. So, I moved it here and merged the two threads.

We need to take the "Hammer" away from you. :D:D:D

We need to take the "Hammer" away from you. :D:D:D

I could use a Hummer instead of a hammer. ;)
But what did I do?

<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" align="left">Saberi's Jail Sentence Suspended, Allowed To Leave Iran </th></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"> By Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL
<table bgcolor="#e4e4c9" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr> <td> http://www.payvand.com/news/05/oct/fariba-iran-evin1.jpg
Roxana Saberi walked out of Tehran's Evin prison today
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>



<table align="right" bgcolor="#e4e4c9" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr> <td> http://www.payvand.com/news/09/may/Roxana-Saberi-freed.jpg
Roxana Saberi
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi has been freed from a Tehran prison. The move follows a decision by an Iranian appeals court to reduce her original eight-year prison term on spying charges to a two-year suspended sentence. The surprise twist in the journalist's saga came a day after an appeals court in Tehran held a hearing on her case. The appeal, which was presided over by three judges, cleared the 32-year-old Saberi of the charge of working as a spy for an enemy country, the United States.

"The verdict says that due to the fact that there is no reason to prove that there is animosity between Iran and the U.S., the charge against [Saberi] that she worked with an enemy government is not applicable," one of Saberi's two lawyers, Saleh Nikbakht, tells RFE/RL.

"But because [Saberi] has conducted activities that can be defined as acting against Iran's national security, based on Article 505 of the Islamic punishment law, she is being sentenced to two-year suspended prison sentence," he adds.

Nikbakht says the court has banned Saberi from reporting in Iran for five years, but said she is now free to leave Iran.

International Outcry

Saberi's case and initial sentencing to eight years in prison was met with international outcry. While the appeals court's ruling did not completely clear Saberi's name, it came as a relief for the numerous individuals and groups who campaigned for her release.

"She is in good condition, and we are very happy that they gave us such a ," Saberi's father, Reza Saberi, said in reacting to the decision.

"I think that in the court that was held [May 10], legal principles were very much respected, since yesterday we realized that the situation would change in the court," he says.

French media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also welcomed the decision. But as RSF spokesman Reza Moini tells RFE/RL, the case serves to epitomize the formidable obstacles faced by the media in Iran.

"[The case] puts into question the freedom of journalists for reporting," Moini says. "It was not the first time. A number of Iranian journalists have been sentenced to prison for the same charge, but fortunately all of them were later acquitted. We don't accept the court but we're happy about the sentence for Saberi and we hope that all the other jailed journalists in Iran will be released."

Moini said international and domestic criticism of the Saberi jailing aided her release.

Saberi, who holds dual Iranian and U.S. citizenship, had been working in Iran as a freelance journalist since 2003.

She was jailed in Iran in January. The original charges against her included buying alcohol, which is illegal in the Islamic republic, and reporting from Iran after her press accreditation had expired.

She was eventually charged with more serious charge of spying for the United States, and in April a revolutionary court sentenced her to prison.

[B]Baseless Charges

The United States had described the charges as baseless and called for her release.

Iran, in turn, rejected outside interference in the case and said that she would be treated no differently than any other Iranian citizen.

While Iranian officials had said that the case was not political, some observers described Saberi as a victim of the tense relations between Tehran and Washington.

Nikbakht says that Saberi's defense focused to a large extent on the nature of ties between Iran and the United States.

"We gave the court documents that stated that Iran and the U.S. are not enemies," he says. "We also presented a court decision made by Iran's Supreme Court in the past that showed that Iran and the U.S. have disagreements, but that they're not enemies based on international laws. The court made its decision and issued this positive sentence in such a short time based on the documents and also based on its own research."

Nikbakht added that there had been "other efforts" to push for Saberi's release, but declined to provide details of what those efforts entailed.

Many Iran observers had predicted that Saberi would be released, just as other Iranian-Americans detained in Iran on security charges had been in recent years. In some of those cases, the detained are believed to have been forced to make false statements, after which they were allowed to leave the country.
<hr> Copyright (c) 2009 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org (http://www.rferl.org/) </td></tr></tbody></table>

LOL at them not dropping the charges and letting her out anyways. Especially with a charge such as espionage, which is a capital offense in Iran. Looks like someone f'ed up and this was the only way that the I.R could get out of this.

Click on the link below to read prospective of many writters, polititions etc. on why IRR released Saberi. Very interesting stuff in there.

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/why-iran-freed-roxana-saberi/?scp=1&sq=Ali%20Shakeri&st=cse

I could use a Hummer instead of a hammer. ;)
But what did I do?

Just a light humor Pedram jAn, I was pointing at merging both threads.

Click on the link below to read prospective of many writters, polititions etc. on why IRR released Saberi. Very interesting stuff in there.

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/why-iran-freed-roxana-saberi/?scp=1&sq=Ali%20Shakeri&st=cse
R.T jAn,
I haven't checked that blog yet but I've heard about Vali Nasr's involvement in negotiation with IRI, so for now I won't dismiss possibility of a monetary transaction either.

<table width="100%" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" align="left">US 'Heartened' By Iran's Release of Roxana Saberi </th></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"> By David Gollust, VOA (http://www.voanews.com/), State Department <table align="right" bgcolor="#e4e4c9" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td> http://payvand.com/news/09/may/Roxana-Saberi-freed.jpg
Roxana Saberi
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States is "very heartened" by the release of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who had been convicted by an Iranian court of spying. U.S. officials called the release a humanitarian gesture and said there had been no back-room deal with Tehran. U.S. officials are calling the release of Saberi very welcome, but they are down-playing the political significance of the move, saying it is unlikely in itself to yield a major improvement in the chilly bilateral relationship.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set the tone in an appearance at the State Department daily briefing, where she welcomed the department's new chief spokesman Ian Kelly.
She said the Swiss ambassador in Washington, whose government represents U.S. interests in Tehran, had officially informed her that Saberi's eight-year espionage sentence had been reduced to two years, and suspended. "Obviously we continue to take issue with the charges again her and the verdicts rendered. But we are very heartened that she has been released, and wish her and her family all of the very best we can send their way," he said.
Spokesman Kelly reiterated the U.S. stand that the spy charges against Saberi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and part-time broadcast reporter, were baseless.
He said the release was welcome, but declined to say the Obama administration sees it as having broader political significance. "We see it as it is. We see it is a humanitarian gesture. We welcome it as such. We continue to have a lot of concerns about Iran. We have concerns about the human-rights situation there. Even though, as I say, we are very pleased that Ms. Saberi has been released, we will continue to press for the safe return of all American citizens detained in Iran, including Esha Momeni," she said.
Journalism graduate student Esha Momeni, another Iranian-American, was jailed for about a month last year in Iran in connection with interviews she conducted there and has since been barred from leaving the country.
Another case of major interest to U.S. officials is that of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared after arriving at an Iranian resort island in the Gulf two years ago.
A senior U.S. diplomat who spoke to reporters said Saberi's release was a good sign, amid Obama administration efforts to engage Iran on its nuclear program and other issues, but said it is not seen in Washington as signaling any "big détente."
The same official said the release was not part of a deal for the release of Iranian prisoners held in Iraq or for any other transaction.
Release was a surprise

By Edward Yeranian, VOA (http://www.voanews.com/), Cairo Jailed American journalist Roxana Saberi has been freed, following 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 Roxana Saberi rejoiced over the decision by an Iranian appeals court to release her, and Saberi wept after hearing the news.
Eyewitnesses say that Saberi was released from a secret exit of Tehran's Evin prison, rather than the main gate, where journalists and supporters had gathered to see her.
Release was a surprise
Saberi's father Reza called his daughter's release "an unexpected surprise," telling reporters at her house in northern Tehran that she was "well."
Iran's Judiciary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi confirmed Saberi's sentence had been reduced by an appeals court, following Sunday's hearing.
Saberi's initial eight-year conviction on charges of espionage were reduced to a two-year suspended sentence, according to her attorney Abdulsamad Khorramshahi. He told journalists the Saberi case was one of the most gratifying he had ever taken on.
Incorrect interpretation of penal code
Saberi's second attorney, Saleh Nikbakht, told VOA the appellate judge ruled the Revolutionary Court, which tried her initially, had incorrectly interpreted the penal code.
You know, he says, the Revolutionary court sentenced her to an eight-year jail sentence for spying, cooperation with the United States as hostile government. We told them the USA is not hostile, although Iran and the USA do have political, economic and ideological problems.
Nikbakht adds that Iran's Supreme Court ruled, several years ago, the United States was not a "hostile nation," giving ammunition to his case.
He says that according to Iran's constitution, the court is not able name a country hostile. Only the Supreme Court is able to do that, and five years ago, the Supreme Court of Iran emphasized that the United States is not hostile. With these facts, he insists, the Appeals Court denied the charge [against Saberi] of cooperation with a hostile government.
Rights organizations lobbied for release
Human rights organizations across the world, including Reporters Without Borders, had lobbied for Saberi's release, calling her initial conviction "politically motivated."
The United States had repeatedly called the Iranian spying charges against Saberi "baseless" and had pleaded for her immediate release.
Saberi will reportedly be allowed to return home to the United States and under the terms of her suspended sentence will not be allowed to practice journalism in Iran for 5 years.
.
</td></tr></tbody></table>

YouTube - Saberi: I Just Want to Be With My Parents

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdarsY-az)
Toofan,
It doesn't work, it goes to Utube main page and it says url is malformed.

Toofan,
It doesn't work, it goes to Utube main page and it says url is malformed.

sorry. my bad. had mistyped the link. works now :)

05-15-2009 07:11 AM

U.S.-born journalist Roxana Saberi arrived in Austria on Friday from Iran after authorities there freed her from a Tehran prison and quashed her eight-year sentence for spying in a diplomatically fraught case.

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/iran/SIG=126b0ummj/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090515/wl_nm/us_iran_usa_journalist_5

Source: Rooz (http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2009/may/15//from-our-perspective-saberi-is-a-spy.html)

15 May 2009

One day after the Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi spoke to reporters in front of her house – for the first time, after spending four months behind bars – and thanked all those who contributed to her release, the Islamic Republic’s intelligence minister once again insisted that she was a spy.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejhei told reporters, “The fact that the appeals court has sentenced her to a two-year suspended prison term shows that her guilt was proven and that the intelligence ministry’s expert opinion was correct.”

According to the ISNA student news agency, Mohseni Ejhei said about Roxana Saberi’s sentence, “Her conviction was changed to a two-year suspended imprisonment. Our experts review cases and we turn them in to the judiciary. The judiciary may accept or refuse our opinion.”

While the lower court had used the information provided by the intelligence ministry to sentence Roxana to eight years in prison, an appeals court lowered the sentence to a two-year suspended imprisonment term. However, on Wednesday the intelligence ministry claimed that its “expert opinion was not accepted” by the court this time.

Commenting on Roxana Saberi’s release, Mohseni Ejhei said that the release was ordered by the appeals court judge, insisting, “After the initial conviction was issued, the case was referred to the appeals court, where the judge made changes to the verdict, based on his own opinion and issues surrounding the initial conviction, and reduced the sentence to a two-year suspended term.”

The intelligence minister’s claim that Roxana Saberi is a spy is made after the website Tabnak, affiliated with Mohsen Rezaei, reported two days ago that “With Roxana Saberi’s reduced sentence and release, the Iranian judiciary removed one major obstacle to negotiations between Barack Obama and Iran.”

Jomhouriye Eslami newspaper too claimed in its Wednesday edition that Roxana Saberi’s release has angered some judiciary officials. The newspaper did not name any such officials, but claimed, “These officials say that if the appeals court intended to reduce the sentence, it should have reduced it from 8 to 5 years, not to a two-year suspended term.”

Jomhouriye Eslami newspaper added, “These officials say that the new verdict implies that espionage is permitted in our country.”

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