Jailed Journalist Shakes Up U.S.-Iran Dialogue

The conviction of Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old Iranian American journalist, sparks controversy and speculation over relations between the U.S. and Iran.

U.S. President Barack Obama said he was ‘gravely concerned’ about the safety of Saberi.
While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the Iranian prosecutor to offer her a full defense during her appeal.

Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis and you’re watching Newsy.com.
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On April 13th a one-day closed-door trial put Roxana Saberi in prison for eight years for espionage. CNN’s Christiane Amanpour compares Saberi’s case to Iran’s past decisions on jailed foreigners and suggests there could be a solution.

“She was apparently denied bail but has twenty days to appeal and we also know that there are provisions in the Iranian government’s regulations and rules that permit pardon. Over the last couple of years, there have been high-profile cases in Iran, in which pardon has been forthcoming.” (CNN)

The Wall Street Journal looks at one of the signals Iran is sending by jailing the American journalist.

“Third possible explanation, I think maybe the most troubling one, is this might be a case that some hardliners inside Iran have specifically tried to create, hoping to create an obstacle to the kind of dialogue with the Iranians that President Obama has suggested.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Iran’s IRIB News Agency reports the Iranian Foreign Ministry rejects any link between Saberi’s arrest and the abduction of Iranian diplomats by the American forces in Iraq. The news agency quotes the ministry…

“Like all other Iranian nationals, Saberi, too, will have access to all legal apparatus like the right to plead guilty or ask for a revision of the verdict.” (IRIB News)

Finally, the BBC brings us perspective from Saberi’s Japanese mother…

“It’s hard to believe what we’re facing. I’m a realist. So far, I think I dealt with it, but beyond this point, it’s beyond belief. Even if I’m a realist, I don’t know how to deal with it anymore. And my concern is her health, not the politics.” (BBC)

So do you think the case will derail the efforts to rebuild U.S.-Iranian relations?