Roxana Saberi leaves Iran
US-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi arrives in Vienna after spying prison sentence cut in Iran
Also In The News
|
A penalty miss from Jermaine Beckford proved costly for Leeds United as they were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Millwall in the League One play-off. |  |
Friday, 15, May 2009 11:33
The US-Iranian journalist jailed in Iran on spying charges has flown out of Tehran after her sentence was reduced.
Roxana Saberi arrived in Vienna, Austria, where she will spend several days with her parents before returning home to North Dakota.
The 32-year-old was freed on Monday after spending four months in prison when her eight-year sentence was reduced on appeal to a two-year suspended sentence in what the US said was a "humanitarian gesture" on Iran's behalf.
"I came to Vienna because I heard it was a calm and relaxing place," Ms Saberi, a freelance journalist who has worked for the BBC, said.
"I need some more time to think about what happened to me over the past couple of days.
"Nobody knows about it as well as I do and I will talk about it more in the future, I hope, but I am not prepared at this time."
She added that it was "very moving" to hear of support from journalists and non-journalists.
Ms Saberi was first arrested for buying alcohol and later accused of working without a valid press card.
The spying charge was levelled against her later still, with her trial and sentence being carried out behind closed doors.