Clinton 'deeply diappointed' with Iran sentencing of U.S. reporter

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday she was "deeply disappointed" by Iran's decision to sentence Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi and would raise the case with Tehran.

"I am deeply disappointed by the reported sentencing of Roxana Saberi by the Iranian judiciary," said Clinton in a statement released by the State Department. "We will continue to vigorously raise our concerns to the Iranian government."

An Iranian court sentenced Saberi, whom they accuse of spying for the United States, to eight years in jail, her lawyer said on Saturday.

The sentencing of Saberi could become a source of tension between Iran and the United States at a time when Washington is trying to reach out to the Islamic Republic following three decades of mutual hostility.

"She has been sentenced to eight years ... I will appeal," lawyer Abdolsamad Khorramshahi said.

The U.S. earlier this week called the charges against Saberi "baseless and without foundation" and demanded her immediate release.

Saberi, 31, is a citizen of both the United States and Iran but Tehran does not recognize dual nationality. It announced the espionage charges against her last week.

It's unclear when Saberi was convicted. She was put on trial on Monday.

The American-Iranian citizen was arrested in January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But later, an Iranian judge charged her with spying for the United States.

Saberi is from Fargo, North Dakota and worked as a freelance reporter for news organizations including National Public Radio.