By Abbas Djavadi – The Committe to Protect Journalists asked Iran to make public the charges against Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist who was arrested on January 31. Spokesmen of Iranian Foreign Ministry and Justice Authority had confirmed the arrest and added that the 31-old journalist’s accreditation had expired. Saberi is a freelance reporter for NPR and BBC. But official charges against Mrs. Saberi have not been announced. «At a minimum, she is entitled to basic due process,» CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said in a statement. U.S. Secretary of State Hillay Clinton has also demanded the immediate release of U.S.-born journalist.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Saberi was working «illegally» after her press card was withdrawn two years ago. Saberi’s father, Reza, was quoted by news agencies as saying  she was probably arrested for buying a bottle of wine. But in an interview with  Radio Farda, Mr. Saberi denied those reports and said that his daughter was doing a research after her accreditation was withdrawn.

An official of Tehran’s public prosecutor’s was quoted by ISNA  as saying that she will be released «in the next few days.»

دسته‌ها:English