Iranian court hears appeal of U.S. journalist

TEHRAN, Iran - A lawyer for a jailed American journalist in Iran said yesterday that he was optimistic that an appeals court would reduce her eight-year prison sentence for allegedly spying for the United States.

Roxana Saberi's lawyer talked to reporters after his client's five-hour, closed-door appeals hearing. He said he had been allowed to defend Saberi and expected the court to rule in the coming days.

"I am hopeful and optimistic that there will be a remarkable change to her verdict," Abdolsamad Khorramshahi said outside the courthouse. "My colleague and I were allowed to defend our client in a favorable atmosphere. Our client also had enough time to defend herself."

Saberi, 32, who grew up in Fargo, N.D., was convicted last month after a closed-door hearing that her father said had lasted only 15 minutes.

The case has caused tension between the United States and Iran despite President Obama's stated desire to engage America's longtime adversary. Washington called the charges against Saberi baseless and demanded she be freed.

Iran had promised a complete review of the case on appeal and insisted Saberi would be allowed to provide a full defense. Officials have suggested that her prison term could be reduced or overturned.

Another lawyer for Saberi, Saleh Nikbakht, said the journalist had told the court that her travel in recent years to countries including Israel was not part of any plan against Iran. "She said she had no particular relations with U.S. officials," Nikbakht added.

He said he had asked the court to release Saberi on bail until a final decision.

Iran's judiciary spokesman, Ali Reza Jamshidi, said he believed "the ruling by the appeals court will be fair and based on the law," the country's official news agency reported yesterday. But he also stressed that he could not "predict if she will be acquitted or the current verdict will remain in force."

Most espionage cases in Iran are not open to the public. Saberi's father, Reza, said that although he had accompanied her to the courthouse, he had been barred from the hearing room.

Saberi moved to Iran six years ago and worked as a free-lance reporter for several news outlets, including National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp. She had gone on a hunger strike in prison to protest her jailing but ended it this month after two weeks for health reasons.