May 27, 2009

Contact: Anna Christopher, NPR

NPR NEWS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH IRANIAN-AMERICAN JOURNALIST ROXANA SABERI

INTERVIEW SABERI’S FIRST SINCE HER RELEASE FROM IRAN’S EVIN PRISON; TO AIR THURSDAY, MAY 28 ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

EDITOR’S NOTE: TRANSCRIPT, AUDIO EXCERPTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE AVAILABLE TO MEDIA BEGINNING THURSDAY AT 1PM (ET)

May 27, 2009; Washington, D.C. – NPR News will have an exclusive, in-depth interview with Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, her first since being released from Iran’s Evin Prison earlier this month. NPR host Melissa Block’s interview with Saberi will air on Thursday, May 28 on the afternoon newsmagazine All Things Considered. Complete audio and a transcript of the interview will be available at www.NPR.org on Thursday at approximately 1:00PM (ET).

MEDIA – PLEASE NOTE:

Audio excerpts, a transcript and photographs will be available on Thursday, May 28 beginning at 1:00PM (ET). Contact: Anna Christopher, 202.513.2304 and achristopher at npr.org All excerpts must be credited to “NPR News.” Television usage must include on-screen chyron to “NPR News” with NPR logo.

In mid-April, Iran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Saberi to 8 years in prison for espionage, but an appeals court reduced that to a two-year suspended sentence on May 11. She left Iran with her family on May 15, and arrived in Washington, D.C. on May 22. The 32-year old journalist, a native of Fargo, N.D., has reported from Iran for NPR, the BBC, ABC, FOX and other news organizations. She had been jailed at Evin Prison in Iran since January 31.

All Things Considered, NPR's signature afternoon newsmagazine, is hosted by Melissa Block, Michele Norris and Robert Siegel and reaches more than 13 million listeners weekly. To find local stations and broadcast times, visit www.NPR.org