Released American flies out of Iran

An American woman released by Iran after more than a year in prison flew out of the country last night to the nearby Gulf nation of Oman to be reunited with her mother.

However, Iranian authorities said they were not considering the immediate release of the two Americans arrested with 32-year-old Sarah Shourd.

Iran has charged all three with spying, though their families say they were innocent hikers arrested in a scenic mountain area along Iran’s border with Iraq. The families of Ms Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal greeted the news of her release with mixed emotions.

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“All of our families are relieved and overjoyed that Sarah has at last been released, but were also heartbroken that Shane and Josh are still being denied their freedom for no just cause,” they said in a statement.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Ms Shourd was being released on compassionate grounds because of health reasons. Her mother says she has a breast lump and precancerous cervical cells.

The families’ statement added: “We applaud the Iranian authorities for showing compassion in Sarah’s case and again call on them to do the only right thing and release Shane and Josh immediately.”

Tehran’s chief prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi said a $500,000 (324,000) bail had been paid to Iran’s Bank Melli in Muscat, Oman, but it was not immediately clear who paid it.

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A US official said neither the American government nor the families of the hikers had paid the bail.

US President Barack Obama welcomed news of Ms Shourd’s release, and said he remains hopeful that the Tehran government would release Mr Bauer and Mr Fattal.

Mr Obama said Mr Bauer and Mr Fattal committed no crime, and he hopes Iran “will demonstrate renewed compassion by ensuring the return of Shane, Josh and all the other missing or detained Americans in Iran”.

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