Prague, 20th April 2009

The European Union is deeply concerned about the sentence pronounced by the Iranian Revolutionary Court on 18 April 2009 against Miss Roxana Saberi for alleged espionage.

The European Union considers that the judicial process with Miss Saberi did not meet the standards of a fair and transparent trial. The EU urgently calls on the Iranian authorities to release Miss Saberi.

The European Union continues to urge the Islamic Republic of Iran to comply with all international human rights instruments ratified by Iran, especially with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Universal Declaration of Human Rights which both guarantee the right to fair trial.