Iranian-American journalist held in Iran - father

By Deborah Zabarenko

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. freelance journalist has been held in Iran since Jan. 31, ostensibly for buying a bottle of wine, and there has been no information about her for more than two weeks, her father said on Sunday.

Roxana Saberi, 31, an Iranian-American who was born in the United States and has reported for the BBC, NPR and other media, called her parents in North Dakota twice on Feb. 10, said Reza Saberi, her father.

"She said she was held in detention and we asked why. She said that she had bought a bottle of wine and that's why they are holding her there," he said by telephone from Fargo, North Dakota.

"We didn't say anything because we thought that this should be something very minor, but later on we found out ... that was just an excuse they make in order to arrest somebody."

Reza Saberi said he knew of no reason why his daughter had been detained.

"They don't tell us why they have done it. Sometimes they arrest journalists or others who are in the public to interrogate them, to see if they have any connections to America or government or to other governments," he said. "I don't know why they do. This is all speculation. Each case is different though."

He said he had not contacted the U.S. State Department because his daughter had asked him not to.

"The first conversation was very brief, just two or three sentences, then she called back and said please don't do anything, because they said that they are going to release me in two or three days," Reza Saberi said.