Iranian President Asks for Reconsideration In Espionage Case
Iranian-American Journalist Roxana Saberi's case has been urged to be treated fairly by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as President Barack Obama is working hard to ensure her freedom, reported ABC News.
Saberi's trial began in Iran's Revolutionary Court, where she was sentenced to eight years in prison for working illegally and spying for Washington, reported ABC News. She originally was arrested for buying wine, which is illegal in Iran, reported ABC News.
"She is an American citizen and I have complete confidence that she was not engaging in any sort of espionage," President Obama said as he asked for her release, reported ABC News.
The official IRNA news agency reported that President Ahmadinejad wrote a letter urging the prosecutor general in Tehran, Saeed Mortazavi, to examine the case fairly, according to The New York Times.
“He wants to present himself as a man eligible for international talks and also dialogue with the United States,” said one anaylyst to the New York Times, Alireza Rajaee.
Saberi, 31, currently resides at Evin prison in northern Tehran, according to the New York Times.