Correction appended
Roxana Saberi, the Northwestern graduate who was detained by the Iranian government last month on the job as an American journalist stationed in the country, was charged with espionage and her case will now be reviewed by Iran’s Revolutionary Court, according to reports in numerous American media outlets.
The specific details of her alleged crimes and the likely outcome are hard to predict, in part because not even her lawyer has seen the charges, according to a story in the The Times of London.
The charges made against Saberi, and the entire ordeal that began with her arrest in early March, have provoked widespread response and outrage in American political and journalistic circles. The most recent high-profile figure to come to Saberi’s defense, according to a New York Times article, is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Internet has spread Saberi’s name and helped propel the cause of those trying to free her. Some examples include a Facebook petition sponsored by the Committee to Protect Journalists that circulated among many Northwestern students, one of the numerous Facebook groups dedicated to freeing the young journalist, and a blog started by the Asian American Journalists Association called “Free Roxana.”
Since the United States has no direct diplomatic presence in Iran, negotiations have proven difficult. But according to the “Free Roxana” blog, Saberi’s parent visited her in Iran on April 6 and reported that their daughter was in decent physical health but in a dangerous mental state.
Saberi (Medill ‘99) holds passports from both Iran and the United States, but is not recognized as a dual-citizen in Iran. She was working openly in Iran as a reporter for news organizations including NPR and the BBC and was reportedly arrested when her press credentials expired.
Updated 4/9, 12:45 p.m.: The article originally stated that Saberi was arrested when her press credentials expired. Her press credentials had actually been expired for some time before she was arrested.