American journalist accused in Iran of spying for the United States has been jailed for eight years, her lawyer said on Saturday, five days after she was put on trial. An Iranian judiciary official, quoted by the ISNA news agency, confirmed the sentencing of the US-born freelance reporter who has worked for the BBC and National Public Radio (NPR). US President Barack Obama is “deeply disappointed” by the sentencing, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. Saberi's jailing could become a source of US-Iranian tension at a time when Washington is trying to reach out to the Islamic Republic following three decades of mutual mistrust. The judiciary earlier this week said Saberi went on trial on Monday at a Revolutionary Court, which handles security cases. ISNA quoted the unnamed judiciary official as saying: “Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Roxana Saberi to eight years for espionage. She can appeal the sentence.” Forced confession Her father, Reza Saberi, told the NPR that his daughter had been coerced into statements that she later retracted. “She was deceived,” he said. “She is quite depressed about this matter and she wants to go on a hunger strike. And if she does, she is so frail it can be very dangerous to her health.” The US has called the charges against Saberi “baseless” and demanded her immediate release. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement: “We will continue to vigorously raise our concerns to the Iranian government.” NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller said in a statement: “We are deeply distressed by this harsh and unwarranted sentence.” Saberi, 31, who is a citizen of both the United States and Iran, was arrested in January for working in Iran after her press credentials had expired. She grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, and holds Masters Degrees in Journalism and International Relations. She was chosen Miss North Dakota in 1997, the website says.
