Roxana Saberi: The Law She Broke And The Fallout

Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was imprisoned in Iran for 101 days in 2009. She was charged with espionage, which she denied, and sentenced to eight years in prison. Saberi, who holds both Iranian and American citizenship, was accused of spying for the CIA and working with a \hostile country\, the United States. After an international outcry and an appeal, her sentence was reduced to a two-year suspended sentence for possessing classified information. Saberi's case raises questions about the Iranian legal system, freedom of the press, and human rights.

Roxana Saberi was charged with espionage

On April 8, 2009, Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was charged with espionage by the Iranian government. Saberi had been living in Iran since 2003, working as a correspondent for several news organizations, including CBS News, NPR, and Fox News. In the lead-up to her arrest, the Iranian authorities had revoked her press accreditation on two separate occasions, in 2006.

Saberi was arrested on January 31, 2009, and held in Iran's Evin Prison, where she was interrogated and subjected to solitary confinement. She was sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage, which she denied. During her captivity, Saberi was pressured to make a false confession, being threatened with a lengthy prison sentence or even execution. She eventually confessed to being a spy but later recanted, knowing that this would put her freedom at risk. Despite this, her case proceeded to trial, and she was convicted and sentenced.

Following an international outcry, an appeals court reviewed her case and reduced the charge against her from espionage to possessing classified information, which she also denied. Her eight-year prison term was reduced to a two-year suspended sentence, and she was released on May 11, 2009, after 101 days in captivity.

Saberi's experience in Evin Prison brought attention to the issue of ""white torture," a form of brutal psychological abuse designed to break prisoners without leaving physical marks. She has since become a spokeswoman for human rights, sharing her story through a memoir and speaking engagements.

She was threatened with execution

Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was arrested in Iran and imprisoned for 101 days under accusations of espionage. Saberi was held in Iran's Evin Prison from January 31, 2009, until May 11, 2009, when she was released. During her imprisonment, she was subjected to severe psychological pressure, solitary confinement, and interrogation while blindfolded.

Saberi was threatened with execution if she did not confess to being a spy. She was told that if she confessed, she would be freed. Under this immense pressure, she made a false confession, which she later recanted while still in custody. Saberi's father, who was in Iran at the time, told NPR that his daughter had been coerced into making incriminating statements. Despite this, her case was sent to trial, and she was sentenced to eight years in prison.

During her trial, one of Saberi's lawyers declared that she had obtained a classified document while working as a translator for a powerful clerical lobby. This document, a classified Iranian report on the US-led war in Iraq, was used as evidence to support the espionage charges against her. However, Saberi refuted this claim, stating that she only had a research article that was public information. She suggested that her lawyer may have been pressured by the Iranian government to state that the document was classified.

After her trial, Saberi went on a hunger strike, consuming only water with sugar. Her attorney appealed her conviction, and she was eventually released from prison after an appeals court reduced her sentence to a two-year suspended sentence. Saberi's courage and commitment to the truth inspired her to later speak out for Iran's "prisoners of conscience" and those detained in the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian presidential election.

She was subjected to white torture

Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi was imprisoned in Iran's Evin Prison for 101 days in 2009. She was accused and charged with espionage, which she denied. Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison, but this was later reduced to a two-year suspended sentence on appeal. She was eventually released on May 11, 2009.

Although Saberi was not physically tortured during her captivity, she revealed that she was subjected to "severe psychological and mental pressure". She described her experience as "white torture", a form of psychological torment that deprives prisoners of their senses and identity.

During her imprisonment, Saberi was blindfolded during interrogations, held in solitary confinement, and forbidden from informing anyone of her whereabouts. Her interrogators threatened her with a lengthy prison sentence and execution if she did not confess to being a spy. As a result of this pressure, she made a false confession, which she later recanted.

White torture, often associated with use in the Middle East, particularly Iran, involves placing a prisoner in a completely white cell, devoid of any colour, sound, or texture variation. The prisoner's clothes, food, and furnishings are also white, and they are fed white, unseasoned food to deprive them of taste and smell. The cell is soundproof, and guards wear padded shoes to avoid making any noise. This form of torture can lead to depersonalisation, hallucinations, psychosis, and even suicide attempts.

Saberi's case brought attention to the use of white torture in Iran, particularly against journalists and political activists.

She was denied basic prisoners' rights

Roxana Saberi, an American journalist with Iranian citizenship, was held prisoner in Iran's Evin Prison for 101 days under accusations of espionage. Saberi was denied basic prisoner rights and subjected to harsh conditions during her detention.

Firstly, Saberi was denied access to legal representation for over five weeks following her arrest. This delay in accessing an attorney can be considered a violation of her right to a fair trial and due process. During this time, she was also held in solitary confinement, a practice that has been widely criticised by human rights organisations for its detrimental impact on mental health.

Secondly, Saberi was subjected to intense psychological pressure and intimidation tactics during interrogations. She was blindfolded, threatened with long-term imprisonment or execution, and informed that her family could be targeted. As a result, she made a false confession, which she later recanted while still in custody. The use of coercive interrogation methods and threats against family members violates international standards of humane treatment and constitutes a denial of basic human rights.

Thirdly, Saberi's right to health was compromised during her detention. She resorted to a hunger strike to protest her imprisonment, endangering her physical well-being. Additionally, the stress and anxiety caused by her imprisonment and the interrogation tactics may have had a significant impact on her mental health.

Finally, Saberi was denied her right to freedom of movement and liberty due to her arbitrary detention. Despite possessing both Iranian and American citizenship, Iran recognised only her Iranian citizenship and denied her the right to return to her home country, the United States. This denial of consular access and the arbitrary extension of her imprisonment violated her fundamental rights.

The deprivation of these basic prisoner rights highlights the challenging circumstances faced by Saberi during her 101 days in Evin Prison. It also underscores the importance of upholding international human rights standards and the role of organisations like Amnesty International in advocating for the protection of prisoners' rights worldwide.

She was sentenced to eight years in prison

On April 8, 2009, Roxana Saberi was charged with espionage by the Iranian government. Saberi, an American journalist, denied the accusation but was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. This sentence was handed down despite international outcry and an open letter from several major news organisations, including NPR, ABC News, and the Wall Street Journal, expressing deep concern about Saberi's well-being and calling for independent access to her.

Saberi's sentence was the culmination of a harrowing ordeal that began on January 31, 2009, when she was arrested on the orders of the Islamic Revolutionary Court. For over five weeks, she was denied access to an attorney, and her parents were only allowed to visit her once before the trial. During her captivity, Saberi was subjected to ""white torture," a form of brutal psychological abuse designed to break a person's will. She was threatened with a lengthy prison sentence or even execution and was held in solitary confinement. Under intense pressure, she falsely confessed to being a spy but later recanted, knowing this could jeopardise her freedom.

Despite the recanted confession, Saberi's case proceeded to trial, and she was sentenced to eight years in prison. In response, her lawyer, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, promised to appeal. On April 19, 2009, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intervened, stating that Saberi must be allowed to defend herself legally. However, efforts to secure her defence were met with resistance from Iranian authorities.

Saberi's sentence sparked international outrage and calls for her release. On May 10, 2009, an Iranian appeals court heard her case and dismissed the charges, reducing the sentence to a two-year suspended term. Saberi was finally freed from prison on May 11, 2009, bringing an end to her 101-day imprisonment.

Following her release, Saberi spoke out about her experience, detailing the psychological torture she endured and clarifying that she had not possessed any classified documents. She emphasised that she had only accessed publicly available research materials. Saberi's courage and resilience in the face of adversity have since become an inspiration for those seeking to expose human rights abuses and advocate for freedom and justice.

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