Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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April 18, 2009

Iran Sentences US Reporter to 8 Years in Prison
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=23AC0F4:A6F02AD83191E1600DD801FA639ACAF83CF5CDEF8FC051DA&
 
Roxana Saberi sentenced on charges of spying for US; Washington rejects
espionage charges as 'baseless' 
Roxana Saberi in a 2004 National Press Photographers association file
image An Iranian-American journalist detained in Iran has been sentenced
to
eight years in prison on charges of spying for the United States. A
lawyer for journalist Roxana Saberi said Saturday he will appeal the
verdict handed down by an Iranian court. U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she is "deeply disappointed" by
the sentencing of Saberi. She said U.S. officials will continue to
vigorously raise their concerns about the case to Iran's government. The
31-year old Saberi had been working in Iran for news outlets. She was
arrested in late January for allegedly working in the country without
valid press credentials. Iranian authorities recently announced
espionage charges against her. They said she used journalism as a
cover to pass classified information to U.S. intelligence services - a
charge the United States rejected as "baseless."An
official with an international press freedom group, Reporters Without
Borders, says his organization is protesting what it calls a "sham"
trial. He says the charges against Saberi do not correspond with
Iran's penal code. Some information for this report was provided by AFP,
AP and Reuters.


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