Amnesty International Welcomes News of Iranian-American Journalist's Release Today
May 11, 2009 - Amnesty International has welcomed the news that the Iranian-American journalist, Roxana Saberi, is to be released from jail in Iran later today (Monday).
"We are delighted that justice has been served by the appeal process and that Roxana Saberi is due to be released from prison in Tehran today," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa region. "She should, however, never have been imprisoned in the first place."
In April, Roxana Saberi was convicted behind closed doors of "collaborating with a hostile state" by Tehran's Revolutionary Court and originally sentenced to eight years in prison. Yesterday, a court heard an appeal against her conviction and commuted the sentence to a suspended two-year term on the charge of "collecting classified information", with a five-year ban on working as a journalist in Iran.
"Although Ms Saberi's release is welcome, it should be unconditional," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. "We are concerned that she may face travel restrictions, like those imposed this weekend on Narges Mohammadi, an aide to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, and Soraya Azizpanah, the editor of Rasan magazine, who were banned from attending a conference in Guatemala."
"Amnesty International is also calling on the Iranian authorities to release all other prisoners of conscience in Iran, including the Alaie brothers--both doctors--who are imprisoned on similar charges and whom we believe are held solely in relation to their work with international and specifically U.S. institutions in the field of HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment."
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
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We are people from across the world standing up for humanity and human rights. Our purpose is to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. We investigate and expose abuses, educate and mobilize the public, and help transform societies to create a safer, more just world.
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AIUSA media office, 202-544-0200 x302,
Laura Spann: lspann@aiusa.org
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