Iranian court to hear US journalist's appeal

An Iranian court will hear the appeal of an American journalist convicted of spying for the US next week and will open the proceedings to experts from the country's bar association, the judiciary spokesman said yesterday.

The advance notice was the latest sign Iran may be trying to lower tensions with the US over the case, after Washington called the charges against 32-year-old Roxana Saberi "baseless".

Iran has already given several indications it is making an effort to conduct the appeal more openly than the trial itself, which took place behind closed doors and, according to the journalist's father, lasted only about 15 minutes.