Iran May Release Hikers: Lawyer

Says Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal may be freed tomorrow
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 30, 2011 8:31 AM CDT
Iran May Release Hikers: Lawyer
In this May 21, 2010 file photo, American hikers Shane Bauer, left, Josh Fattal, center, and Sarah Shourd in Tehran.   (AP Photo/Press TV, File)

The lawyer for two Americans jailed in Iran on charges of espionage says his clients could be released after a court hearing slated for tomorrow. Masoud Shafiei said today the fact that the session in the trial of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would coincide with the second anniversary of their arrest may indicate that they will be freed. There also is a tradition in the Muslim world of pardoning prisoners for the holy month of Ramadan, which starts early next week.

Bauer and Fattal have been jailed since July 2009. Bauer's fiance, Sarah Shourd, was arrested with them but released last year on $500,000 bail. The Americans deny the charges and say they were only hiking in a scenic area of northern Iraq, and accidentally crossed the Iranian border. (More Josh Fattal stories.)

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