When pressed about working for a think tank for the Expediency Council, a revelation made by her lawyer, Saberi claims that her lawyer had only been telling half truths and that some of the research for the Center of Strategic Research was sent to the Expediency Council, but it was a government think tank. This, too, is inaccurate. Although it was previously run by the office of the Iranian President, since 1997 the Center of Strategic Research has been run by the Expediency Council, used primarily for research of a strategic nature. They do indeed have a website with reports translated in English, however, this website is also under the Expediency Council as apart of the Center of Strategic Research, not as a separate entity.
NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THE PERSIAN CATS
With her boyfriend Bahman Ghobadi, Saberi co-scripted and executive produced No One Knows about the Persian Cats, a docu-fiction film about Tehran's underground music scene. Ghobadi, a man Saberi's family did not know about and questioned his intentions very publicly in the press, could not receive license to film this movie in Iran. They then took to the streets of Iran, scouting locations in two or three days, covertly filming in high speed over seventeen days so that they would not be found by the police. The crew was arrested twice during the shoot, but bribed the police for their freedom with DVDs of Ghobadi's previous released movies. Ghobadi claims that Saberi was the inspiration for the movie, which premiered at Cannes just days after Saberi's release. These previously unpublished photos show Ghobadi, Saberi and crew during one of their filming sessions underground in the streets of Iran.
Here are photos of Saberi and Ghobadi filming, unreleased by mainstream media.
Ghobadi also aided Saberi in her research for her book. In a letter he released internationally begging for her release, he stated, ??I accompanied her, and thanks to my friends and contacts, I knocked on every door and was able to set up meetings with filmmakers, artists, sociologists, politicians, and others. I would go with her myself. ? Saberi admits to meeting with several different groups and a variety of people in Iran for research for her book. It was reported that Saberi had in her possession copies of internal memos from a conservative political party. Al-Jazeera reported a week after Saberi's release a man had been taken into Iranian custody for providing Saberi with those memos. Although the man was photographed going into the police station, no further information about him or his release have been made public.
FAMILY TIES TO MILITARY INTELLIGENCE
When the media spoke about the family in this case, there were only references made to Saberi's parents ?? Reza and Akiko. This is not by accident. An article posted on April 22, 2009, on ValleyFaith.net, a faith-based information site for the Red River Valley where Saberi grew up in Fargo, North Dakota reveals that Saberi's parents, Reza and Akiko, asked the community for support for the Saberi family through means of donations and respectful letters written to editors of various news mediums. They also had one other request ?? do not mention Jasper Saberi in any communications ?? local, national, or international. Local media agreed, with comments mentioning Jasper Saberi immediately being deleted from conversation. It is now revealed, however, the request came with good reason. The year that Saberi took her much debated trip to Israel, her brother was serving in the US Military in Afghanistan.
In 1998, Jasper Saberi graduated with a B.S in Chemistry from North Dakota State University. That same semester, the Math and Science Department awarded him the American Institute of Chemists Foundation Outstanding Graduate in Chemistry Award. Roxana Saberi, along with her father Reza, attended the ceremony together. It was after graduation that he joined the military. According to military records, in August of 2007, Jasper Saberi was up for an officer promotion in Signals Intelligence Analysis; also known as MOS 98.
Among the rules and regulations of any individual placed within Signals
Intelligence Analysis, the ability to obtain top security clearance is included. It is also required of personnel that there be no immediate family in countries that are known to use physical or mental coercion against those who hold interest of the United States or family members of those individuals. Roxana Saberi lived in Iran beginning in 2003 until the end of her appeals in May of 2009, before and after the time of her brother's promotion in the military. Some of the duties of those that work in Signals Intelligence Analysis are establishing communication methods, analysis of intercepted messages and the preparing of technical and tactical intelligence reports. Jasper Saberi is now at an army stationed in Colorado.
SABERI'S REPORTING
NPR lists several articles written by Saberi during her time freelancing for them. The following statement is included on a search of Saberi's stories: ??In addition, reports from Roxana Saberi have been included in NPR newscasts, which are not transcribed, as recently as January 2009 ? . Though Saberi at times uses the word writer and journalist to describe herself, in the interview that she gave NPR she stated: ??I think most foreign journalists who are in Iran think about it sometimes, but I never really dwelt on it. I never really felt that they would have been monitoring me. Maybe when I was a journalist, it would have been more natural for them to. ?
Saberi also stated that what she did by reporting in Iran without press credentials wasn't illegal, because she was not attending official or government meetings.The BBC felt different, terminating their work relationship with Saberi after her press credentials were revoked. If she wasn't going to government meetings, she was reporting on government activities, often times quoting members of Iran's parliament and other officials on such subjects as Iran's nuclear program, Iranian attitudes towards problems Lebanon faced in 2006, Iranian riots after gas-rationing programs, renewed talks between Iran and the US and Iran's relationship with Palestine. In many of Saberi's reports, she references government officials she had met and spoken with, contradicting earlier statements that her reporting was not illegal because they did not cover government affairs.
For IPS, a news agency rarely referenced when speaking about Saberi's career, she reported on Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Tajikistan. Her reports for IPS, the last filed in late 2007, include reporting on the financial connections between Iran and Hezbollah, Iran's relationship with Jaish al-Mahdi, and the rebuilding efforts in Lebanon. A complete list of articles written by Saberi can be found on the websites for BBC, NPR and ISP. When listing articles, it appears that the freeroxana.net website failed to list all work, leaving out the most controversial and reports from news companies other than NPR.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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