Many aspects of the case remain murky. It’s unclear why her appeal date was moved forward, from Tuesday to Sunday. The evidence against her still hasn’t been released. One of Saberi’s prospective lawyers was not allowed to meet with her in prison, and the paperwork she signed for her appeal was at one point “lost.” And although Saberi has ostensibly been freed, her father told Reuters today he was still standing in front of the prison, waiting for her release.
Many suspect that Saberi’s arrest was motivated by political concerns. Iranian conservatives may have wanted to derail the Iranian-American peace process, or the Iranian government may have wanted to use Saberi as a “bargaining chip.” Whatever the case, Iran seems to have pulled back — but Saberi’s fate will only be certain once she is actually released.
Less fortunate are journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who were captured May 17 by the North Korean military on the border with China, where they were covering North Korean defectors. Ling and Lee have received less press than Saberi, in part because the U.S. hopes, according to the Wall Street Journal, “that not provoking the North Koreans may lead to a speedy resolution.” But the two remain in custody, a source says “North Korea isn’t talking to the U.S. at all,” and many speculate that hardliners have gained power in the wake of Kim Jong Il’s illness, and are forcing North Korea into an increasingly hostile relationship with the West. Now that Saberi is free, perhaps diplomats can turn their attentions to Lee and Ling — but their case remains far more uncertain, and the three women together form a disturbing pattern of U.S. journalists held for political gain.
Reporter’s Hearing In Iran Moved Up [NYT]
U.S.-Born Reporter Freed: Iranian Judiciary Source [Reuters]
Roxana Saberi, US-Iranian Journalist, ‘To Be Freed’ [TimesOnline]
Iranian-American Journalist ‘To be Freed’ [Financial Times]
US Journalist Appeals Against Spying Sentence [Independent]
Iran ‘To Release’ Reporter Saberi [BBC]
Earlier: U.S. Journalist Held In Iran Continues Hunger Strike
Roxana Saberi Ends Hunger Strike
American Journalists To Face North Korean “Justice”
