Fears grow for arrested US journalist Roxana Saberi in Iran

The Iranian regime refuses to divulge the whereabouts of arrested US-born journalist Roxana Saberi. Iranian spokesman Hasan Qashqavi said 'her press accreditation was withdrawn in 2006; and that her activities since then were illegal and unauthorised'.

Qashqavi merely affirmed that she had been arrested - but would not tell the international news media of her whereabouts. Her father told the news media yesterday that he last heard from his daughter eleven days ago, when she said she was allowed to make a phone call from an undisclosed location to let him know of her arrest. see There is growing concern about the safety of the US-born pro-Western journalist, who since 2003 had filed frequent reports for international news outlets such as the BBC, Fox News and many others. People fear for her safety because of the vicious treatment which the Iranian regime has meeted out to previously arrested pro-Western female journalists and academics. see "Roxana Saberi is one of the most courageous people I have ever met, said Simon Marks, president and chief correspondent at National Public Radio. "It is imperative that the authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran now divulge her whereabouts." see It is feared that Saberi -- a former Miss North Dakota -- may be held at the notorious Evin Prison, infamous for its allegedly torturing to death of the Canadian/Iranian female photojournalist Zahra Kazemi after her arrest in 2003. In solitary confinement for 110 days The Islamic Republic of Iran in 2007 also arrested four other Americans of Iranian descent for 'trying to undermine Iran'. Amongst these had been the female academic Haleh Esfandiari. In 2007 she was detained in solitary confinement, in Evin Prison for more than 110 days, between May 8 and August 21 2007. She now is the director of the middle-east program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars think tank in Washington, DC This grossly overcrowded prison, built for 320 prisoners during the reign of Shah Reza Pavlevi but usually holding some 15,000 prisoners, often is used to house political prisoners. It has a public execution site and is located inside a residential and commercial area known as Evin, next to the Saadat Abad district. There is a large park area with a popular upscale teahouse and restaurant located immediately next to it. Photography in front of and around the prison is illegal. Canadian photojournalist arrested On 23 June 2003, Iranian-Canadian female photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was arrested for taking photographs in front of the prison, and, it was claimed by an Iranian doctor who defected a year later, she was tortured to death in this prison. The Islamic Republic of Iran's government claimed after her death that she died from a stroke while being interrogated. However, Iranian doctor, Shahram Azam, former staff physician in Iran's defence ministery who had defected a year later and contacted her son, said he had examined Mrs Kazemi four days after her arrest - and found evidence of rape, torture and a skull fracture. see The case stayed under the radar screens for most Canadians until Azam defected and contacted her son Stephan Hachem in Sweden. Azam claimed he'd examined Kazemi in hospital, four days after her arrest. Raped and tortured: Kazemi allegedly showed obvious signs of torture, including, evidence of a very brutal rape; a skull fracture, two broken fingers, missing fingernails, a crushed big toe and a broken nose; severe abdominal bruising, swelling behind the head and a bruised shoulder; deep scratches on the neck and evidence of flogging on the legs. Azam had left Iran in August 2004 under the pretext of getting medical treatment. With the help of Canadian lawyers, Hachemi helped Azam and his entire family get to Canada. He was granted landed immigrant status as a refugee sponsored by the government of Canada. After Kazemi's death, Hachemi demanded that Iran return his mother's body to Canada for burial – but Iran has refused. see The son has also been critical of the federal government, saying Ottawa did not do enough to help his mother. He has demanded that Canada take the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. see