Parents of imprisoned journalist heading to Iran

Saberi in Iran
US-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi reporting in Tehran in 2003. The freelance journalist was arrested in Iran in February. Saberi's parents are traveling from their home in Fargo to Iran to help speed their daughter's release.
BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images

(AP) - The father of imprisoned journalist Roxana Saberi says he and his wife are leaving Fargo for Iran to see his daughter and speed her release.

Reza Saberi says he and his wife, Akiko, will leave Fargo on Monday afternoon. They hope to be in Tehran by Wednesday.

Reza Saberi said he has been hearing word that Iranian officials are going to "speed up the process" of releasing his daughter, but he said "there's still some work to do."

The Iranian government has said Roxana Saberi was arrested for doing reporting work in the country after her press credentials expired. Her parents found out about her arrest in a brief phone call from her Feb. 10.

Saberi grew up in Fargo and attended Concordia College in neighboring Moorhead, Minn.

She is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Iran who has reported for a number of international news organizations.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)