Journalist Jailed in Iran is "Weak" From Hunger Strike

The American journalist jailed in Iran is weak after seven days of a hunger strike, but otherwise in good spirits, her father told The New York Times.

Roxana Saberi has lost about 10 pounds, said her father, Reza Saberi, who visited his daughter in a Tehran prison on Monday.

Earlier this month Roxana Saberi was convicted of spying for the U.S. and sentenced to eight years in prison after being tried in a one-day, closed-door trial.

The head of Iran’s judiciary has ordered an investigation into the case. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has urged authorities to ensure that she gets a fair appeal.

Ms. Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was arrested for working as a reporter after the Iranian government revoked her press credentials in 2006. More recently she was charged with spying for the U.S.

Ms. Saberi, a former Miss North Dakota who was a finalist in the Miss America pageant, was born in the United States and has lived in Iran for six years. She has worked as a freelance journalist for NPR, the BBC and other news outlets. Her father is from Iran.