InfoAnda - Joyful Saberi, free from Iran jail, thanks backers

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Google wanted to team with Facebook, now fierce rival | | 1 June 2011
Signs grow that Lockerbie bomber to be freed | 20 August 2009
Court rules against Rambus, shares plunge | | 14 May 2011

Airline group blasts European handling of volcanic ash | | 18 May 2010

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Joyful Saberi, free from Iran jail, thanks backers

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Search Search: Joyful Saberi, free from Iran jail, thanks backers By ALI AKBAR DAREINI,Associated Press Writer AP - Wednesday, May 13 TEHRAN, Iran - A joyful Roxana Saberi on Tuesday thanked those who helped win her release after four months in a Tehran prison. Her lawyer revealed that the American journalist was convicted of spying for the U.S. in part because she had a copy of a confidential Iranian report on the U.S. war in Iraq. ADVERTISEMENT Saberi, who holds American and Iranian citizenship, had copied the report "out of curiosity" while she worked as a freelance translator for a powerful body connected to Iran's ruling clerics, said the lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht. It turned into a key part of the prosecution's case against her during her secret, closed-door trial in mid-April before an Iranian security court, Nikbakht said. Prosecutors also cited a trip to Israel that Saberi made in 2006, he said. Iran bars its citizens from visiting Israel, its top regional nemesis. Speaking to reporters in Tehran for the first time since her release Monday, a smiling Saberi said she did not have any specific plans but wanted to spend time with her family. Saberi, who at one point was on hunger strike in prison, looked thin but energetic, dressed in a bright blue headscarf, black pants and a black dress. "I'm of course very happy to be free and to be with my parents again, and I want to thank all the people all over the world _ which I'm just finding out about really _ who whether they knew me or not helped me and my family during this period," she said in brief remarks outside her home in north Tehran. "I don't have any specific plans for the moment, I just want to be with my parents, and my friends and to relax," the 32-year-old said. Her father said Saberi was catching up on news stories on her detention on the Web as the family prepared to return with her to the United States in the coming days. Saberi's original trial was a swift, single session that her father said lasted only 15 minutes. She didn't have a chance to speak in that trial, and she was sentenced to eight years in prison _ drawing an outcry from Washington. But she spoke in an appeals court Sunday, explaining her side to the judges, Nikbakht said. Saberi admitted that she copied the document two years ago but said she didn't pass it on to the Americans as prosecutors claimed. She apologized, saying it had been a mistake to take the report, Nikbakht said. He gave no details on what was in the document because it remains confidential. At the time, Saberi was doing occasional translations for the Web site of the Expediency Council, which is made up of clerics who mediate between the legislature, presidency and Iran's clerical leadership over constitutional disputes, the lawyer said. Saberi had moved to Iran six years ago and throughout her time there was working as a freelance journalist for several organizations, including NPR and the British Broadcasting Corp. Saberi also told the appeals court that she had engaged in no activities against Iran during her visit to Israel, Nikbakht said. The court accepted her explanation and reduced her sentence to a suspended two-year sentence, prompting her freeing on Monday. Another of Saberi's lawyers, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, said a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the court urging it to give Saberi's case a complete review helped bring the sentence reduction. Ahmadinejad's letter and the success of the appeal was a sign of the intense political pressure swirling around Saberi's case. Her Jan. 31 arrest came at a time when President Barack Obama was launching his outreach to Tehran, aiming to ease years of tensions between the two adversaries. Many in Iran and the U.S. speculated that Saberi's arrest was an attempt by hard-liners within the regime to scuttle any dialogue. But in the face of criticism from Washington, Ahmadinejad and other Iranian officials appeared to back down, issuing assurances Saberi would get a proper appear. The release could also help Ahmadinejad win some domestic political points a month before he faces a re-election challenge from reformers who seek to ease Iran's bitter rivalry with the United States. Saberi's Iranian-born father Reza Saberi told reporters at the Tehran home that his daughter "was not tortured at all" while in custody but that she made incriminating statements about herself under pressure. He said his daughter initially pleaded guilty to the charges under pressure but retracted her statements later and the appeals court accepted that. He told NPR that there was "a lot of psychological pressure ... just to be there for her to be confined in one room and not to be able to do any of the activities that she used to do, it was so hard for her." He said the first thing his daughter wanted when she got home after her release was "to rest a little bit and to speak to some of her friends here." "She has lost a lot of weight," he told reporters. The younger Saberi held a hunger strike during her detention, stopping after two weeks when her parents, visiting her in prison, asked her to end it. Now "she is eating well. She is recovering," her father said. Saberi's father and her mother Akiko, who is of Japanese origin, came to Iran after her detention to try to win her release. Reza Saberi said the family was making plans to return home to the United States but probably would not be ready to leave on Tuesday or Wednesday. The family lives in Fargo, North Dakota, where Roxana was raised and in 1997 was crowned Miss North Dakota. ____ Associated Press Writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed to this report. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 0 users recommend Related Articles: World Karabakh remains powderkeg 15 years after ceasefireAFP - Wednesday, May 13 Pope calls for Palestinian homelandAFP - Thursday, May 14 Accused in murder, Guatemalan leader seeks probeAFP - Wednesday, May 13 Payback begins in British MPs' expenses rowAFP - Wednesday, May 13 Astronauts ready to capture space telescopeAFP - Thursday, May 14 Most Popular – World Viewed Australian zoo evacuated after orangutan escape British store admits it boobed in bra row Obese young men have less hope of marriage: study Venezuela oil takeovers may leave 22,000 jobless $70-80 good price for oil: French economy minister View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Wednesday, 13 May 2009
U.S. elected to U.N. rights council for first time | International |
Italy accuses two of leading role in al Qaeda | International |
Russia's Medvedev sees no graft campaign success | International |
Microsoft says hackers seek to attack PowerPoint users | Technology |
Paperback will survive e-readers: Mondadori | Technology |
Galloway denies he approached Google about NY Times | Technology |
Bruckheimer Games hires industry veterans | Technology |
Facebook, Warner team on Watchmen promo | Technology |
Nokia halts investment in media-sharing site | Technology |
Miss California keeps her crown, and her opinions | Entertainment |
New Swayze biography details battle with cancer | Entertainment |
Depeche Mode singer rushed to hospital, in Athens | Entertainment |
Facebook, Warner team on Watchmen promo | Entertainment |
Titanic stars donate to final survivor | Entertainment |
Tate show to explore artist as celebrity and brand | Entertainment |
Pope to visit Bethlehem in occupied West Bank
Pope meets Abbas, calls for Palestinian state | International |
Suspected US strike in Pakistan kills 10: officials
Taliban attack Afghan town, nine dead: govt
China arrests returned Tiananmen student leader: family | International |
Israel army questions soldiers about Gaza looting
NASA downplays shuttle damage, spies Hubble meet
Suicide bomber kills 7 Afghans outside NATO base | International |
Oil prices hit six-month high on weak dollar
Iran very close to getting nuclear arms: Israel
US trade gap widens for first time since July
Israel hands over Lebanon cluster bomb maps: U.N. | International |
New 'poisoning' hits Afghan schoolgirls: officials
Oil price jumps above $60
U.S. elected to U.N. rights council for first time | International |
Pope says Christian presence in Holy Land 'vital'
Australia unveils record $44.1bln budget deficit
India votes in final round as weak coalition looms | International |
Church committed to reconciliation with Jews: pope
Climate change endangers coral Triangle: WWF
Google unveils new search features
IBM launches new real-time data analysis software | Technology |
Cairo court rules to block porn sites
Google shows new search tools for computer, phone | Technology |
France working on support for microchip industry
UK mobile firms could be given spectrum cap | Technology |
Former Nazi death camp guard taken to German jail
French parliament adopts tough Internet piracy bill
White House names dates for Mideast leader visits
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty opens new HQ in Prague
Payback begins in British MPs' expenses row
Trump says Miss California USA can retain crown
NY Times unveils 'Times Wire' online news feed
Wis. chemical plant fire chases people from homes
Italy charges two Frenchmen with Al-Qaeda terror plots
BBC names first Muslim head of religious programmes
Man accused in TV anchor death wants new lawyers
China deploys secure computer operating system
Police: Ga. professor shot wife's friend first
Last words aboard Flight 3407
Google unveils new search features
Median home prices fell nationwide in 1Q
Animation film Up may lift gloom as Cannes opens | Entertainment |
Michael Jackson eyes $50 million concert payday | Entertainment |
Star Trek breaks Imax record as purists grumble | Entertainment |
China's growth rests on US, Europe recovery: World Bank
NZ cenbank chides banks on rate cuts
Aussie star Baker signs for Affleck, Alba thriller
US Treasury chief Geithner to visit China June 1-2
Former Hollywood mogul seeks NY Times stake: reports
China's exports sink, but factory investment rises
Hong Kong court told 'feng shui will' not valid
Mazda sinks into the red amid auto slump
Korea National Oil to begin drilling in Kurd region
Cannes shrugs off economic gloom, reels in stars
Montreal launches major public bicycle system
Life stirs in contemporary art market: Sotheby's
Miniweb merges Internet and TV with Blinkx
Lack of blacks on Brazil's catwalks prompts protest
Guimaraes, Maribor are Euro culture capitals for 2012
Mexico hotels offer flu-free guarantee
Russia blocks lesbian marriage
Miss California keeps crown despite racy pix
Aussie star Baker signs for Affleck, Alba thriller
Suicide blast at US base kills 7 Afghans: military
Pakistani army ordered to avoid civilian casualties | International |
Sri Lanka fighting intensifies, aid worker killed | International |
Coral Triangle could die by century's end: WWF
Accused Nazi guard seen fit to stay in German jail | International |
Popular cereal is a drug, US food watchdog says
Russia may face wars over energy: Kremlin | International |
Europe wasted 20 years since Cold War: Gorbachev | International |
Battles rage in Somalia, world calls for calm | International |
Only a third of UK terrorism arrests lead to charges | International |
Coral Triangle could die by century's end: WWF
Obama to revive Guantanamo military trials
Joyful Saberi, free from Iran jail, thanks backers
Investors hunt defensive stocks as rally stalls
Intel hit with record $1.45 billion antitrust fine | Technology |
Cell phones, TVs undo efficiency gains: study | Technology |
INSIDE WASHINGTON: Recommended cuts trigger fight
Hate goes viral on social network sites: report | Technology |
US worried Kenya may return to violence
Britain faces 'slow' economic recovery: BoE
Ex-Surgeon General Novello pleads not guilty in NY
Apple sets tech conference date | Technology |
Sri Lanka fighting rages despite calls for halt
Pakistan jets bomb Taliban as Zardari calls for aid
Russia, Japan strike energy pacts, vow to end islands row
China confirms second case of swine flu
Voting ends in India's marathon election
China mark quake anniversary with Sudirman Cup mauling
Vietnam has too many boys: state media
Thailand confirms first two swine flu cases
20 dead as US, Afghans battle suicide bombers
China's exports sink, but factory investment rises
Are Bono and Bob Geldof good for Africa? | Entertainment |
Weakening of China economy 'just temporary'
Japan: current account surplus suffers record drop
China's industrial output 'up 7.3 pct in April'
China Eastern gets 290 mln dollar govt injection
Taiwan dollar at 2009 intraday high on funds, stocks
Taiwan stocks rebound on new investment regulations
Corporate woes rise as Asia reels from crisis: IMF
Korea Hot Stocks
S.Korea bonds steady after fin min remarks
South Korea to maintain stimulus measures
Cannes critics give nod to 3D animation 'Up'
US songbirds in perfect Barbershop harmony
Turkey leads first batch of Eurovision finalists
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01