A secret Iranian court has sentenced Iranian American journalist Roxana Saberi to eight years in prison for allegedly spying for the United States. Saberi had worked as a freelancer for the BBC, NPR and other outlets. Her father Reza Saberi spoke to NPR on Saturday.

Reza Saberi: “She is very weak and frail, the last time we saw, and she wanted to go on hunger strike, but we persuaded her not to do so. And after this, most probably she will, even though when we visit her we want to ask her not to do so. But she is quite depressed about this matter, and she wants to go on hunger strike. And if she does, she’s so frail it can be very dangerous to her health.”

The Obama administration has demanded Saberi be released. On Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to Tehran’s chief prosecutor instructing him to personally ensure that Saberi be allowed to offer a full defense during her appeal.