Jailed US journalist Roxana Saberi 'had secret document on war in Iraq'

[JonLP24]

Source: Times Online

The American journalist Roxana Saberi was jailed for espionage in Tehran after obtaining a confidential Iranian document about the American invasion of Iraq, it was claimed today.

Saleh Nikbakht, one of Ms Saberi's Iranian lawyers, revealed that a document Ms Saberi had obtained while working as a translator for a powerful clerical lobby had been used as evidence to convict her on charges of espionage.

Ms Saberi, 32, was released on Monday after an appeal court dismissed charges of spying and reduced her eight-year prison term to a two-year suspended sentence.

Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, the lead defence counsel, said that she had “accepted that she had made a mistake and got access to documents she should not have".
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Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6274496.ece

[endarkenment]

1. Hmmm. if true that really muddies the water.

There is always the possibility that she was in fact spying.

[JonLP24]

2. Not sure how reputable of a source it is

I saw the headline and story posted it. I was guessing DUers would weed it out and the truth will come out. Last I heard there was no evidence and that was a US source.

[endarkenment]

3. There is rarely any good evidence in these cases.

It will be assertions and denials all around, but nobody will prove anything. She is lucky to get out with her head on her shoulders.

[JonLP24]

5. I checked out the journalist on Wiki

Catherine Philp is a foreign correspondent for The Times (of London). She has specialised in conflict, with ten years spent based overseas, covering wars including Afghanistan, Iraq, East Timor, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia, Indonesia, Darfur, Congo and Zimbabwe. She is currently based in London.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Philp

Doesn't say anything positive or negative but it does indicate that she is atleast experienced.

[JonLP24]

9. MSNBC TV reported what she had not to long ago

They cited her lawyer as a source. So it is probaly true.

[Arctic Dave]

11. She could never be a spy, they all look like James Bond.

Shaken, not stirred.

[JuniperLea]

4. "she had made a mistake and got access"

Hmmm... seems a good reporter takes what they can get, and that those who hold the documents should determine who should and who should not have access, not the reporter.

This whole deal is odd... odd, odd, odd.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Spying means working for another government - and no necessarily

a hostile government.

This sounds more like a reporter doing her job, who violated Iran's state secrets laws - which is not spying, but still a punishable offense.

It was inflated to espionage for propaganda purposes, and they let her go because they knew all along it was a lesser offense and not worth antagonizing the US over.

[JonLP24]

7. I agree

Her lawyer also says no classified information was passed which would indicate spying if she had.

[endarkenment]

8. Technically she was not a reporter. No credentials.

Not in Iran as a reporter. Plus she is considered by Iran to be an Iranian national. She knew what she was doing was very dangerous and she is very lucky to be getting out at all. She is a very brave woman. Not entirely innocent, but very brave.

[Alcibiades]

10. If this were an Iranian caught in the US with classified docs

She would be serving life. Obama's got some serious diplomatic mojo!