Secretary Clinton Concerned For Health of Saberi

Sec'y Clinton testifying before House Appropriations Committee (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

As has been reported in the media for the past two weeks now, Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi is on a hunger strike as a means of protesting her imprisonment on trumped up charges of being female a spy:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday she is very concerned about the health and well-being of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who is on a hunger strike after being convicted in Iran on spying charges and sentenced to eight years in jail.

“She is extremely unhappy and quite rebellious about being held in such a horrible situation and is on a hunger strike,” Clinton told the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The United States has called the charges against Saberi baseless, and the State Department has offered Iran U.S. goodwill if it responds in a positive way to her release.

[snip]

Appearing before the Committee to discuss funding requests for security efforts in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Clinton said Iran’s legal process is questionable and appears “impervious” to “civilized standards,” nonetheless the U.S. continues to reach out through every channel it can to appeal for her release.

“She has arbitrarily been in our view held without any kind of transparency or process. We have called on the Iranian government, both directly and through other emissaries, to release her,” Clinton said.

Saberi’s conviction is the first time Iran has found an American journalist guilty of espionage — a crime that can carry the death penalty.

Unfortunately, Saberi is being used as a bargaining chip by Iran’s leaders. First they said they had charged her with purchasing wine, then they said she was operating without press credentials and then they apparently put their heads together and finally settled on a much more ominous (and potentially deadly) charge of espionage.

Advertisement