Iran Releases Reporter, Sends Chilling Message

Imprisoned NPR reporter Roxana Saberi is coming home from the jails of Iran – but not without some distressing baggage.

In a surprise move today, the Iranian court of appeals overturned Saberi's eight-year prison sentence for espionage, giving her a two-year suspended sentence, and the opportunity to return home to the United States. But, for journalists watching the case, there's a stern warning in all this from Iran: Watch your step.

When Saberi was first arrested in Iran this past January, the charge was a minor one – buying an illegal bottle of wine – a charge that escalated rapidly to working without press credentials and, finally, spying for an enemy country.

The case quickly became a matter of international concern and protest. But, even as the increased publicity put pressure on the Iranian government to release Saberi, it also shed light on an uncomfortable fact: For reporters in Iran there can be harsh penalties for stepping away from the party line – and not all of the cases will get international attention.

For working reporters, this means report at your own risk. Consider the comments of Nazila Fathi, a reporter who has been covering the Saberi case. In an interview with the New York Times Radio, Fathi talked about the impact of the case on other journalists in Iran: "Many of us thought it might be a signal to other reporters that such charges could be brought against" and "I always try to rely on official sources, use news reports that have been officially reported."

In the past few months, a Spring thaw in relations with Iran has seemed to be in the air. With cautious hints about renewed diplomacy and even a video greeting card to Iran from President Obama, it's looked possible, for the first time in a long time, that Iran and the United States could at least begin the process of sitting down at the table. But a press corps forced to tiptoe nervously around the issues and rely heavily on government sources of information makes it difficult to see Iran as a state open to a relationship.

I join Saberi's family, her colleagues, and people around the world who have been following the case in profound relief for her safety and return home. But, her arrest – and her still-standing conviction – were not aimed at her alone. It was also a strike at the ability of reporters to do their job in Iran. Saberi may have been released from prison, but there are still plenty of other reporters in Iran who got the message.