( CNN ) -- The Rev . Jesse Jackson has offered to travel to Iran to help release a jailed Iranian-American journalist who was recently convicted of spying . The Rev . Jesse Jackson says he would be willing to travel to Iran to appeal for Roxana Saberi 's freedom . `` If our voices are heard in Iran today , I would be anxious to travel with a delegation to Iran , if we are permitted , and make an appeal for her freedom , '' said the longtime civil rights activist , according to his Rainbow PUSH Coalition . Jackson , 67 , was speaking Tuesday at a peace conference in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia . `` Whenever we 've brought people out of captivity , whether in Syria , Cuba , Iraq , or Yugoslavia , or Liberia , it 's always opened a diplomatic door to reduce tensions , '' he added . Roxana Saberi , 31 , was sentenced Saturday to eight years in prison after a one-day trial that was closed to the public . The decision prompted sharp denunciations from President Barack Obama , as well as other U.S. and international officials . Saberi 's lawyer has said he will appeal the verdict . Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi has ordered the head of Tehran 's Justice Department to make sure the appeals process is quick and fair . Jackson has offered in the past to help release American hostages , most recently in 2005 . At that time , he said he was willing to use his role as a religious leader to help secure the release of Roy Hallums , who was kidnapped along with five others in Baghdad in November 2004 . Hallums was freed in September 2005 when American troops raided the farmhouse where he was being held outside Baghdad . In 1984 , Jackson successfully secured the release of a Navy pilot held in Syria . In 1991 , he helped secure the release of 500 `` international guests '' held in Iraq , and in 1999 , he worked to persuade Yugoslavia to release three U.S. soldiers held there during the Kosovo conflict . Obama has called for Saberi 's release , saying he is `` gravely concerned with her safety and well-being . '' `` We are working to make sure that she is properly treated and to get more information about the disposition of her case , '' Obama said Sunday . `` She is an American citizen , and I have complete confidence that she was not engaging in any sort of espionage . '' Iranian officials initially said Saberi was held for buying a bottle of wine . The Foreign Ministry later said she was detained for reporting without proper accreditation . Saberi , who comes from North Dakota , has been living in Iran since 2003 , said the Committee to Protect Journalists , a journalists ' advocacy group . She has freelanced for National Public Radio and other news organizations , and was writing a book about Iranian culture . Iranian authorities revoked her press credentials in 2006 , but Saberi continued to file short news items without permission , the journalists ' group said . Saberi was detained in January , although no formal charges were disclosed . On April 9 , word emerged that Saberi had been charged with espionage . `` Without press credentials and under the name of being a reporter , she was carrying out espionage activities , '' Hassan Haddad , a deputy public prosecutor , told the Iranian Students News Agency . Authorities also said Saberi confessed . Her father said he believes she was coerced into making damaging statements . CNN 's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report .
Civil rights activist says he 's willing to travel to Iran to seek King 's release . Iranian - American journalist was recently convicted of spying . Nadia Saberi has been sentenced to five years in prison . Iranian authorities say Saberi confessed ; father says he believes she was coerced .