US hikers held by Iran to be freed within days

Two American hikers arrested and convicted on spy-related charges in Iran could be freed “in a couple of days,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.

By The Newsroom

Published 14th Sep 2011, 08:00 BST

He announced the release in an interview taped for an American TV station, saying it would be a humanitarian gesture.

The development came after their lawyer said an Iranian court set bail of $500,000 each for Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, arrested more than two years ago.

The move clears the way for their release a year after a similar bail-for-freedom arrangement for Sarah Shourd, the third member of the group.

Ms Shourd, 32, a teacher, writer and women’s rights activist, was freed in September 2010 on humanitarian and medical grounds in a deal brokered by Oman.

The US is currently relying on Swiss envoys, who represent the US in Iran, to confirm the men’s status, having had no independent confirmation of the release terms.

The Americans were arrested in July 2009 along the Iran-Iraq border and accused of espionage. The trio have denied the charges.

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