Iran court to review journalist spy case

TEHRAN, April 20 (UPI) -- Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi's espionage conviction will be reviewed expeditiously, the head of Iran's judiciary said Monday.

The ISNA news agency reported Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, who runs the judiciary, announced through a spokesman that he had ordered the "careful, quick and fair consideration" of an appeal of the eight-year jail sentence imposed on Saberi, The New York Times said.

The announcement came a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the chief prosecutor in her case to review the matter.

Saberi, 31, who grew up in Fargo, N.D., and holds dual U.S. and Iranian citizenship, worked for National Public Radio and BBC. She was arrested in late January and sentenced to prison last week on charges of spying for the U.S. government.

Her father, Reza Saberi, said told the Times he was allowed to visit his daughter Monday for the third time in jail.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Sunday efforts would be made through diplomatic channels to ensure the journalist was treated properly. He also said he was certain she wasn't spying for the United States.

Meanwhile, Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in Evanston, Ill., announced Monday students will lead a rally Thursday to urge Saberi's release.

"The council felt we'd be remiss not to acknowledge this travesty," said Medill senior Shari Weiss. "We will march in solidarity with Roxana and journalists everywhere."

Saberi is a Medill alumna.