American journalist Roxana Saberi has arrived in Austria to recuperate after spending four months in an Iranian prison.
The
newly-freed journalist arrived in the Austrian capital, Vienna, early
Friday on a flight from Tehran. She was accompanied by her parents.
Saberi
told reporters at the airport that she plans to spend several days in
Austria and then go to the United States. She said she is not yet ready
to talk about her experience, but will do so in the near future,
recounting her time in jail, and the events leading up to her
detention.
The 32-year-old journalist, a dual
American-Iranian citizen, was arrested in January while buying a bottle
of wine, which is illegal in Iran. She was convicted last month of
espionage.
After Saberi's lawyer appealed the court's decision, a judge reduced her sentence and freed her from prison on Monday.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Saberi said she had no immediate plans and just wants to relax with her family.
One of Saberi's lawyers said the spy charges against her were based on documents she obtained on the U.S. war in Iraq.
The
attorney, Saleh Nikbakht, said the journalist made copies of the
confidential report, prepared by a strategic research center at the
Iranian president's office. He did not say how Saberi managed to
obtain the documents, and said she never used the information.
Iran's
intelligence minister, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, maintained
Wednesday that Saberi was guilty of spying, noting that her reduced
sentence meant she had not been acquitted of all charges.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
News
