Iran's Leader Calls For Reporter's Rights

[G_j]

Source: Sky News

Iran's Leader Calls For Reporter's Rights

2:16pm UK, Sunday April 19, 2009
Iran's President has insisted that a US-Iranian journalist jailed in Tehran on espionage charges should be allowed her legal right to defend herself.


Roxana Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of spying following a trial behind closed doors.
A letter from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office to Tehran's prosecutor covered the case of Ms Saberi and detained Iranian blogger Hossein Derakshan.

It said: "Please make sure that all the legal stages about the mentioned people be based on justice.

"You personally make sure that the accused people will enjoy all freedoms and legal rights to defend themselves and their rights will not be violated."

Ms Saberi's lawyer Abdolsamad Khorramshahi said: "We also want what the president wants, especially regarding making meeting my client easier, and also we want them (the judiciary) to be more accurate at the appeals stage."

He had already announced his intention to appeal against the conviction.

Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Roxana-Saberi-Iran-President-Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-Wants-Legal-Rights-For-Jailed-Journalist/Article/200904315264741?f=rss

[bemildred]

1. Hmmmm.

One hesitates to applaud Ahm-an-idjit, and yet ...

[lamp_shade]

2. That's "I'm a dinner jacket" (Woopie Goldberg)

[GinaMaria]

5. that made me laugh... thanks

Reminds me of these two guys:

http://www.headsetoptions.org/2007/07/18/morons-at-heathrow-airport-announcement-pranks/

[GinaMaria]

3. was just reading something this weekend that talked about

how Iran is using this incident to manipulate the conversation with Obama. They have already gotten some of the nuclear items off the agenda and it has been suggested that this is a way to distract Obama and the Americans so they don't have to talk about what really needs to be talked about. It's interesting to read this and consider that theory. Ahmadinejad, in that scenario would be playing the part of reasonable leader and appealing to a western sense of justice.

I'm curious about what you think. Is this a case of 'Pay no attention to the nuclear program behind the curtain' or has the tone with Iran thawed a bit?

[bemildred]

4. I find the notion of Ahm-an-idjit manipulating Obama with transparent ploys "questionable".

Obama is not dumber, or weaker, than Ahm-an-idjit.

[GinaMaria]

6. thanks for your reply!

Do you think it is possible that he will shift the focus of the masses from the nuclear issues to saving this young woman's life? This seems a better way to get the media to shift focus too.

[SkyDaddy7]

7. I agree...

This could be a way to shift attention away from the primary issue of Iran's alleged pursuit of a nuclear bomb...However, I also leave open the hopeful possibility that Obama's tone toward the Iranians could already be having positive results! Is not Obama the first US President to refer to Iraq as the Islamic Republic of Iran?

I just hope they let her out on appeal and not use her as a pawn.

[bemildred]

9. It's possible he took her in order to have the opportunity to "give her back".

It's possible someone else did it, and for one reason or another he finds it politically expedient to defend her.
I think it is very unlikely that the nuclear issue will be finessed away.
It's worth remembering that he has an election coming up.
If there is any issue of media focus in this, that would indicate to me that it's about the election.

[GinaMaria]

11. The coming election is excellent context for this

while there's no way to finess the nuke issue away, he may be trying to delay it and upcoming elections would explain why....

[bemildred]

12. I don't see what the reporter has to do with that.

They have been telling "the West" to go blow themselves about the nukes for some time now. It hasn't cost him anything politically, if anything its a domestic plus that he's standing up for Iran's rights. On the other hand, standing up for the reporter makes him look like he really cares for human rights and the rule of law and becoming westernized all that, and that would serve him well election wise.

[ohio2007]

8. Irans leader said "she should be allowed her legal right to defend herself."

what a fool he has for a speach writer

;)

[bemildred]

10. True, not the sharpest knife in the box. nt

[depakid]

13. Desperately seeking relevance

[steven johnson]

14. Iran president urges full defense for US reporter

Source: Washington Post

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president said Sunday that an American journalist convicted of spying for the U.S. should be allowed to offer a full defense during her appeal, a day after she was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The message was a sign that Iran's leadership does not want the case to derail moves toward a dialogue with the Obama administration to break a 30-year diplomatic deadlock.

Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to Tehran's chief prosecutor instructing him to personally ensure that "suspects be given all their rights to defend themselves" against the charges. "Prepare for the court proceedings ... to observe and apply justice precisely," the state news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.

Saberi's case has been an irritant in U.S.-Iran relations at a time when Obama is offering to start a dialogue between the longtime adversaries. A few days before her sentence was announced, Ahmadinejad gave the clearest signal yet that Iran, too, was ready for a new relationship with the U.S.


Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCJY4lE5kHBHPnISEZo0LopbpHPgD97LP1C80

---

As Tip O'Neill said, "All politics is local." Here the locality is Iran and the Iranians suddenly realize they have a card to play to improve US-Iranian relations.

[davidinalameda]

15. makes me wonder if her arrest was done in order for them to have a "card"

[tomm2thumbs]

16. you are probably correct - anything to hedge their bets

[pampango]

17. Wasn't she allowed a "full" defense during her initial trial?

"...an American journalist convicted of spying for the U.S. should be allowed to offer a full defense during her appeal..."

[get the red out]

18. You mean 15 minute "trial"?

No