Freed Journalist Saberi Leaves Iran, Says Lawyer

U.S.-born journalist Roxana Saberi left Iran for Europe early on Friday, days after being acquitted on charges of spying for the United States, one of her defense lawyers said. Saberi was well, but upset at leaving Iran, and planned to go on to the United States from Europe, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi told Reuters. U.S.-based National Public Radio reported on its website, monitored in London, that the 32-year-old freelance reporter was flying to Austria with her parents.
Saberi, who has both U.S. and Iranian citizenship, has worked for NPR and the BBC. She was arrested in January for working in Iran after her press credentials had expired. She was later accused of spying, found guilty and jailed for eight years but had her sentence cut to two years, suspended, on appeal, and released from prison. A defense lawyer said on Tuesday the change in the verdict was due to a different interpretation of the relevant law, not to political considerations. But her release on Monday removed a possible hindrance to U.S. President Barack Obama's attempts to improve U.S. relations with the Islamic Republic after three decades of mutual distrust. Obama welcomed Saberi's release after more than three months in detention as a "humanitarian gesture." The two countries remain at odds over other issues, notably Iran's nuclear program, which Western nations believe is aimed at producing nuclear weapons but Tehran says is to generate electricity.