"Don't give in" -- A week of highs and lows for the Saberi family

The bottom line is Roxana Saberi still sits in an Iranian prison without being charged, almost 6 weeks after her arrest.

And although nothing has changed on the bottom line, that doesn't mean it hasn't been an emotionally tumultuous week for both Roxana and her parents.

Last Friday started out with such great promise. Iran announced it had completed its investigation of Roxana and would be releasing her in the next few days. Coming on the heels of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's press conference in Brussells in which she called on Iran to do right by Roxana, it sure looked like things were finally breaking in Roxana's favor. But as Reza, her father, tells me ruefully, those "few days" have now come and gone and still his daughter remains locked up in Evin prison.

In a sometimes heartbreaking conversation with me last night, Reza says Roxana finally had a chance to meet with an Iranian lawyer Saturday. Guards transported her from the prison to the courthouse for the meeting. The lawyer told Reza that when he first met her she looked ill and depressed. And when she first tried to talk, she couldn't keep from crying. Given this was her first contact with someone "on the outside" in 40 days, her father thinks Roxana was just emotionally overwhelmed. Her lawyer then told her how hard her family was working to get her released and how much support she was receiving around the country and the world. She seemed cheered a bit by that, and even managed a smile before her session with the lawyer ended.

Then, out of the blue, early Monday morning (1:30 AM, Fargo time) Roxana's parents were awakened by a ringing phone. It was Roxana. Reza says she had the same nervous rush in her voice that she did the only other time he'd heard from her in captivity (Feb. 10th.) He asked her if she had been physically harmed, abused or tortured. She said no, she hadn't been. What she did say was that her time in prison was "psychologically challenging." Reza says she's clearly under extreme psychological pressure and he simply told her: "Don't give in." He says she seemed heartened by his words of support and advice. She then hurriedly said "I love you " and hung up. The call lasted no more than a minute or two.

The next day (yesterday), Roxana met with her lawyer again. He says she seemed in better spirits. He brought along some books she'd requested from her apartment, to help her pass the time in prison. He again stressed to her how much support she had from the outside world and that he was doing all he could to straighten matters out. When their session wrapped up, he says she seemed "fine."

Reza Saberi is alternately outraged at and emotionally drained by his daughter's predicament. At times, he expresses fury at the way Roxana is being treated. How dare they hold her for this long without even any charges? And why was it up to him, thousands of miles away, to have to arrange for a lawyer for his daughter, he asks. Where are his daughter's "human rights" in this matter? And whither the protected privilege of journalists? He says he's cheered by yesterday's news that the heads of many worldwide news organizations (ABC, BBC, NPR,Wall Street Journal, Fox News) had issued a joint statement to the government of Iran calling for Roxana's release, if no charges are forthcoming. He hopes and prays for the release of not only Roxana but of all unfairly imprisoned journalists around the world.

But he also admits this crisis is taking a terrible toll on his family: “It’s very, very hard for us …….very hard for us……..to control our emotions.”