By April Choi
Voices
Roxana Saberi was arrested in Iran on Jan. 31 and accused of espionage; she was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. An appeals court reduced her sentence and she was released on May 11.
Roxana Saberi was arrested in Iran on Jan. 31 and accused of espionage; she was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. An appeals court reduced her sentence and she was released on May 11. The 1999 student project’s alum gave an exclusive interview to Voices.
Q: When did you realize when you were in jeopardy?
A: When the intelligence agents who came to my home on January told me that if I didn’t “cooperate,” I would end up in Evin Prison (in Iran) that evening.
Q: What story were you trying to tell before you were imprisoned? Why was that story important?
A: I had been working on a book about Iran, and I was trying to tell the stories of various individuals and groups in Iranian society. I wanted to share with the outside world an in-depth look at the lives of Iranian people, a subject that I felt could be told best in a book instead of through short news reports. I had come to know many Iranians during the years I lived in Iran, and before leaving Iran, I wanted to portray them and the challenges and opportunities they have been facing.
Q: How do you feel about being a public figure?
A: It is certainly something I never planned. I hope I can use what I have learned from my experiences to inform others, even if only in some small way.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish now?
A: My immediate goal is to write a book that gives an account of my six years in Iran, including my imprisonment and the types of people I encountered there. I hope to provide a look at the beauties and mysteries of Iran, its political tensions and diverse society.
Q: Would you ever go back to Iran or do international reporting again? If so why or why not?
A: This remains to be seen.
Q: What things do you regret doing? How would you advise other journalists if they were in your place?
A: First of all, if you want to freelance abroad, you might want to choose a country where there are fewer foreign reporters so that your coverage will be more in demand.
Secondly, if you know how to use more than one medium, for example, if you learn how to prepare TV, radio and print reports, then you can be much more versatile. More and more, foreign correspondents are learning how to shoot and edit TV reports and then easily convert them to radio and online stories.
Third, try to mix in with the local culture as much as possible and to learn the local language. Of course, you can work through a translator, but it is never the same as speaking directly with the people, and they will feel more comfortable around you.
Fourth, in certain countries, you may have to learn how to balance pressures by the host government, your boss, and your own conscience to do your job. This balance can sometimes be hard to strike, and in the process, there may be risks involved. For example, even though you might believe you’re observing the law, in some countries, certain authorities consider themselves above the law.
Q: How do you think being a female Iranian journalist has impacted your work, your captivity and afterward?
A: There are pros and cons to being a female journalist in Iran. For instance, sometimes women journalists are barred from places where only men can go, but other times only women journalists can get access to all-women settings. An important point to mention is that whether a journalist is male or female, the risks can be great. There are many talented, courageous women journalists, writers and bloggers in Iran whom I greatly admire. An important point to mention is that whether a journalist is male or female, the risks can be great. According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran is now the largest prison for journalists in the world.
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