Iran hopes "basic changes," "amendments" to jailed U.S.-Iranian reporter´s case

Source: Xinhua | 05-11-2009 07:56

by Mehdi Bagheri

TEHRAN, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Both the lawyer of the case and some Iranian officials have expressed hope that there would be "basic changes" and "amendments" to the jailed U.S.-Iranian reporter's case.

On Sunday, after the session of an Iranian court held to hear the detained reporter's appeal concerning the charges of espionage, the lawyer of the case Abdolsamad Khoramshahi told reporters that he is "optimistic that there would be basic changes in the (previously) issued verdict in favor of Ms. Saberi," according to local IRNA news agency.

Khoramshahi who seemed to be content with whatever had happened in the appeal court said that the court session was held in "good conditions" and his colleague and he were given adequate time to defend their client.

"Saberi's appeal was heard this morning for four hours and the court will announce the verdict by next week," he said, expressing satisfaction with the court's condition for providing a chance for the hearings of both sides, the local ISNA news agency reported.

Roxana Saberi, a 32-year-old dual Iranian-American national, had reported as a freelance journalist for various news organizations including the BBC and U.S. National Public Radio (NPR).

According to Iranian authorities, Saberi had been denied press credentials since 2006, but she defied the ban and continued her journalistic activities.

Last month, Iran's Revolutionary Court sentenced her to eight years in jail on charges of espionage. But the deputy head of the Iranian prosecutor's office said that the reporter may enjoy sentence "amendments" on appeal.

"The case will be reviewed by the court of appeal and amendments will be made to the sentence should there be room for amendments," Hassan Zare Dehnavi, known as Judge Haddad, was quoted as saying by local Press TV.

Accordingly, Iran's judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi expressed hope that the U.S.-Iranian reporter's sentence would be "reconsidered" in the appeals court.