Behind Bars in Iran

It's a paradox! At the very same time Iranian President Ahmadinejad is lecturing the world on racism, prejudice and injustice, his own country has convicted and sentenced an American-Iranian to 8 years jail in a trial, held in secret, said to have lasted all of 15 minutes.

The NY Times has an interesting background piece "Behind Bars in Iran" on being imprisoned in Iran:

"When Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old Iranian-American journalist, was arrested in Tehran in January, her parents were told it was because she tried to buy alcohol. Details about her detention in the notorious Evin prison near Tehran were sketchy. But her case was speeded up this month when she was charged with spying, then convicted and sentenced in a short trial.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly instructed the prosecutor to give Ms. Saberi a chance to mount a full defense, presumably during her appeal. Was he paving the way for Ms. Saberi’s eventual release, or was he simply trying to undercut international criticism of her quick conviction?

We asked others who have been jailed in Iran or who have worked with journalists who have been detained there to comment."

Read the "stories" of the Times has gathered here.

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