Monday, April 20, 2009
Roxana Saberi
Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American accused of spying on behalf of the United States, was sentenced to eight years in prison over the weekend by a secret tribunal in Iran. Saberi’s sentence was the most severe of those handed down by Iran’s judiciary for those holding dual nationality and convicted of violating the country’s national security. Her attorney said he would appeal the sentence, but Saberi’s best hope of release may reside in high level negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
President Barack Obama, who wishes to improve relations between the U.S. and Iran and temper the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear ambitions, said he was disappointed with the verdict. An official close to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Saberi judgment demonstrated that it was time for the United States to stop interfering in Iran’s internal affairs. Despite the tough talk from Tehran, a political analyst in Iran, Saeed Leylaz, told the New York Times that he believed the government was willing to negotiate Saberi’s release in exchange for the release of three Iranian officials captured in Iraq by American forces in 2007. Iran claims the men are diplomats, while the US says they are linked to the Revolutionary Guards.
It is also possible that a prisoner swap between the US and Iran may involve Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared off the coast of Iran in 2007. Some in Washington believe Levinson is being held captive in a secret Iranian prison, while Tehran has denied any involvement in his disappearance.
In a surprise move, Ahmadinejad released a letter asking Tehran’s prosecutor general to reexamine the case more carefully. However, some observers speculated that Ahmadinejad was merely staking out a popular position in advance of Iran’s national election on June 12.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Iranian President Asks Court to Reconsider Spy Case (by Nazila Fathi, New York Times)
Iran Sentences U.S. Journalist to 8 Years (by Nazila Fathi, New York Times)
U.S. Journalist Sentenced in Iran (by Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post)
Iran Sentences Roxana Saberi to 8 years (by Ramin Mostaghim and Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times)
U.S. Journalist is Being Tried Behind Closed Doors in Iran (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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