Tuesday, March 10, 2009

News Groups Demand Iran Release Info on Saberi, CPJ Petition Full

Seven major news organizations have demanded that Iran allow access to one or two organizations to evaluate Roxana Saberi's condition, and that the charges against her be made public.

Roxana Saberi, 31, has been held for about a month by Iranian officials who claim that the freelance journalist was engaged in "illegal" activities because she continued working in Iran after the government revoked her press credentials in 2006. She has not been heard from since Feb. 10.

In addition, the Committee to Protect Journalists has started a Facebook petition demanding President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intervene in the situation. By Tuesday evening 10,669 people have signed the petition, more than the goal of 10,000 signatures.

CPJ said the petition will be delivered early next week to the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in New York.

The petition can be found at CPJ's Cause page on Facebook.

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