wfn.org | Iran Courts Sentence Lutheran College Alumna

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

Title: Iran Courts Sentence Lutheran College Alumna
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>April 18, 2009  

>Iran Courts Sentence Lutheran College Alumna
>09-090-SH

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- An Iranian court sentenced a Lutheran
college alumna to eight years in prison at an April 18 hearing in
Tehran.

Roxana Saberi, 31, a journalist who filed reports for
National Public Radio (NPR), the BBC and others, was convicted of
espionage. Iran revoked her journalist credentials in 2006, and
considers all subsequent news gathering illegal.

Saberi was slated to deliver the May 3 commencement address
at her alma mater,  Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. Concordia
is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Saberi was born in the United States and grew up in Fargo,
N.D., with her Iranian father and Japanese mother. She was named
the 1997 Miss North Dakota while pursuing a degree at Concordia.

Saberi has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since
January. No evidence against her has been made public.

After the verdict was announced, Reza Saberi said in an
interview with NPR that his daughter was weak, frail and
depressed. He fears for her health, too, because "she wants to go
on a hunger strike."

He said that during her imprisonment, Iranian officials
coerced his daughter into making false statements in exchange for
her freedom. But after realizing she'd been "tricked," she
repeatedly told officials the statements were false, her father
said.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop and president
of the Lutheran World Federation, wrote to the Iranian government
April 9 asking for Roxana's Saberi's release. In the letter, he
noted the "shared Abrahamic heritage" of Christians and Muslims.

"Our culture has grown to value journalists as agents of
truth and to give them latitude for investigation and truth-
telling," Hanson wrote. "Therefore, in addition to our call to
advocate for persons in prison, I am called to advocate for the
freedom of journalists who are not engaging in espionage but only
trying to discover the truth of a given matter. Descendents of
Abraham are seekers of truth."

Dr. Pamela M. Jolicouer, president of Concordia College,
said a few days ago that the college had a contingency plan for a
commencement speaker. She declined to discuss the details
"because we are still hopeful that Roxana will be here."

After the verdict was announced, NPR called on Iranian
officials to "show compassion" by letting Saberi return home to
the United States with her parents. Saberi's father said the case
would be appealed.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog