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Please Support Former Miss North Dakota Roxana Saberi!

Roxana Saberi, former Miss North Dakota who competed in the 1997 Miss America Pageant, needs your support now more than ever!

Roxana is a U.S. journalist working in Iran, and has been unfairly imprisoned in Iran since Jan. 31, being held at Tehran's Evin prison.

In a recent interview, Roxana's father said his daughter told him she had met with a prosecutor in Tehran and been told she may be in prison for several months and possibly up to two years.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has demanded that Tehran immediately release Roxana.  An official from the Iranian prosecutor's office said earlier this month that Iran's investigation of Roxana had been completed and she would soon be released.  Roxana has worked for National Public Radio, the BBC, ABC News and other international media outlets.

A spokesman in the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated Roxana was working illegally after her press card was withdrawn two years ago.  Roxana's father said she was arrested for buying a bottle of wine, which is banned under Iran's Islamic law and also confirmed that Roxana's credentials as a correspondent had been revoked.  However, he said she had stayed in Tehran to pursue a master's degree and was doing research for a book about Iranian society.

Art McMaster, President and CEO for MAO stated, “The Miss America Organization has been working with the State Executive Director of North Dakota to lend our support and to offer our help in expediting Roxana's release.  We are communicating with Roxana's colleagues in the media to extend our assistance and keep informed on the situation.”  McMaster added,   “We pray for Roxana and hope that our MAO family will keep Roxana in your thoughts and prayers.”

May she return home safely with God's speed.

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