U.S. Journalist to Be Freed Soon in Iran, Her Lawyer Says

[ClarkUSA]

The Obama Doctrine shows its worth and its power to influence uncertain outcomes for the better. Welcome home, Ms. Saferi!

TEHRAN— An Iranian-American journalist who was sentenced to eight years of jail on spying charges for Washington will be released Monday after an appeal court reduced the sentence, her lawyer said... Ms. Saberi, 32, has lived in Iran since 2003 and worked as a freelance journalist for National Public Radio and the BBC. She was arrested in late January for buying a bottle of wine, which is illegal in Iran. But the charges against her escalated to working without a press card and then spying for Washington. Her press card had been revoked in 2006.

The sentencing had threatened to complicate political maneuvering between Iranian and American leaders over Iran’s nuclear program, an issue that kept relations icy during much of the Bush administration. Mr. Obama recently made overtures to Tehran about starting a dialogue over the nuclear program, and Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, responded positively... Soon after her sentencing, Mr. Ahmadinejad urged the chief prosecutor to re-examine the case.

In the appeal, Mr. Nikbakht argued that the espionage charge should be lifted because the foreign ministry and the judiciary had previously said that there was “no hostility between Iran and the United States.” The judges accepted the defense, he said.

The Paris-based press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders, welcomed the appeal court’s decision in a statement on its Web site.

[otohara]

1. Excellent News

get yer butt home Ms. Saferi

[AtomicKitten]

2. That's great news and what I expected.

:hi: