Iran's President Urges Fair Trial for Journalist

BEIRUT-Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday sent a letter to the judiciary calling for a fair trial for Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old Iranian-American reporter convicted of spying and sentenced to eight years in prison by the Revolutionary Court.This file photo provided by the National Press Photographers Association shows U.S. journalist Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, who was convicted of spying by an Iranian court.Ms. Saberi's sentencing on Saturday prompted global outrage, from the White House to journalist associations, calling for her immediate release and accusing Iran of not appropriately applying justice.Ms. Saberi, a former American beauty queen, has been in detention in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since Jan. 31. She was charged with espionage earlier this month and tried last week behind closed doors.Her lawyer, Abdul-Samad Khoramshahi, said in a telephone interview from Tehran that he welcomed Mr. Ahmadinejad's intervention and hoped for a fair hearing during the appeals process."I will file an appeal next week," said Mr. Khoramshahi. "I was with Roxana when the court issued the verdict, and she is holding up well given the circumstances." He added that Shirin Ebadi, Iran's top human-rights lawyer and a Noble Peace Prize Laureate, would join the defense team at the family's request.On Saturday, both the White House and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said they were deeply disappointed by the sentencing, and that the U.S. will continue to vigorously raise its concerns to the Iranian government.Ms. Saberi's sentence marked the first time an Iranian-American journalist has been convicted of espionage in Iran. It remains unclear what kind of impact her case will have on the recent rapprochement and possibility of preconditioned negotiations between Iran and the U.S. The U.S. has held three Iranian diplomats in detention in Iraq since 2007 on allegations of spying for the Revolutionary Guard, though they haven't been formally charged.The United States called charges against Roxana Saberi 'baseless' and demanded her immediate release.Mr. Ahmadinejad's letter, which also mentioned detained Iranian blogger Hossein Derakhshan, seemed to be aimed at appeasing concerns that Iran's judicial system was flawed."Please make sure that the accused enjoy all freedoms and legal rights to defend themselves and their rights are not violated," read the letter, according to Iranian News Agency, IRNA.Ms. Saberi initially told her parents that she was arrested for buying a bottle of wine. Purchasing alcohol is illegal in Iran. Iran's foreign-ministry spokesman later told reporters Ms. Saberi was being detained for reporting without valid press credentials. Later, Iran's judiciary said she was being investigated for passing information to American intelligence members.Iranian judiciary officials said this month that Ms. Saberi had confessed to the charges against her. But her father, Reza Saberi, told NPR on Saturday that his daughter had been "tricked" into confessing and that she told him the investigators promised her release if she cooperated with them. He told CNN on Sunday that she had lost weight but was treated well in prison and hadn't been physically harmed.
By FARNAZ FASSIHI
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124005279095031897.html
As in the days of Noah....