The International Press Institute has denounced North Korea and Iran for detaining U.S. journalists and using them as apparent political hostages.

The institute’s director, David Dadge, said in a statement Tuesday that the detainments are acts of political brinksmanship and an outdated way of conducting negotiations on difficult international problems.

Dadge added that accusing the journalists of being spies is the authoritarian rulers’ way of disguising the truth and deluding their populations.

Earlier on Saturday, an Iranian court sentenced Roxana Saberi to eight years in prison for espionage after a one-day, secret trial. According to the International Press Institute, the U.S.-born reporter was arrested in February, allegedly for buying wine.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling of U.S.-based Current TV were detained in North Korea on March 17th near the Chinese-North Korean border while reporting on North Korean women who fled to China.