Yesterday Iranian American Journalist Roxana Saberi was released from Evin Prison in Tehran. According to a Boston Globe Editorial:
AN INJUSTICE was corrected yesterday when Iran's politicized judiciary dropped an espionage charge against freelance journalist Roxana Saberi, reduced and suspended her sentence, and let her out of prison. There were hints that freeing Saberi, an Iranian-American, was Iran's positive response to recent overtures from President Obama. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rightly called Iran's gesture "heartening."
This is a big win for the new Diplobamacy and awe should take moment to rejoice. But only a brief moment. The saga of Roxana Saberi is unfortunately not an isolated incident. As I posted before here and here, Drs Kamiar and Arash Alaei are victims of the same Iranian government mentality that accuses anyone with ties to the US with Treason. Instead of being rewarded for developing innovative HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs in Iran and sharing their knowledge with international scientific community, they were thrown in the same prison as Roxana Saberi. They were subjected to the same sham court proceedings as Roxana Saberi. Unfortunately they were not granted the same Isalmic kindness as Roxana during their appeal hearing.
As a NYTimes editorial today notes.
The Iranian gesture and the relief for Ms. Saberi and her family should not be overstated. Working conditions are still treacherous for journalists and other professionals in Iran. Physicians for Human Rights is campaigning for the release of two doctors, who were working on AIDS relief, whose unfair trials and horrifying sentences are still intact. And, as the Committee to Protect Journalists cautioned on Monday, at least five other journalists are still in Iranian prison cells for trying to do their jobs.
Today is a Global Day of Action for Drs Kamiar and Arash Alaei. Over 16 countries are holding vigils and sending letter to the Iranian Ambassadors asking for Kamiar and Arash’s immediate release. You can join our virtual vigil online from 11am-1pm EST or join us in person in DC or NYC. Tell Iran that Treating AIDS is not a Crime! Download our sample letter and send to the Iranian Mission to the UN. Sign our petition. Help us free Kamiar and Arash so they can continue their lifesaving work.
Update The Great Beyond, a blog from Nature highlights one of the legal reasons for Roxana's release.
Saberi's conviction ("cooperating with a hostile state" ) was overthrown on the grounds that the United States is not hostile to Iran, according to an editorial in the Boston Globe. The reversal has diplomatic overtones, writes the Globe, which should also apply to the doctors.