Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today called on Tehran’s Prosecutor General Saeed Mortazavi to secure Roxana Saberi’s “legal freedoms and rights" to defend herself on “charges” against her. Saberi is already “convicted” on those charges and sentenced to eight years. Ahmadinejad also called for fair treatment of Hossein Derakhshesh, an Iranian-Canadian blogger also imprisoned.
“At the president’s insistence, you must do what is needed to secure justice in examining these people’s charges…Take care that they have all the legal freedoms and rights to defend themselves against the charges,” said a letter from Ahmadinejd’s chief of staff, Abdolreza Sheikholeslami, to Mortazavi [IRNA, 19 April].
Ahmadinejad’s personal intervention could be a hopeful indication that Roxana will be “retried” and eventually freed.
UPDATE: Iran’s judiciary chief has ordered a full investigation into the case of Roxana Saberi [IRNA, 20 April]. The order came from Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the country’s top judge.
Is it not possible that she was actually doing something more than studying and journalistic work? Her situation seems strange to me... irresponsible to say the least. (Obviously the circumstances of the trial have been extremely shady up to this point)
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