accadacca
09-14-2011, 06:16 AM
Anybody else been following this story?
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updated 1 hour 51 minutes ago
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
TEHRAN — Two Americans arrested while hiking in Iran and convicted of spying will not be released imminently, a judiciary official said Wednesday.
"The two Americans are going to stay in prison for a bit longer," Iran's English-language Press TV quoted the official as saying. "Reports of their imminent release are wrong."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told NBC News on Tuesday that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would be freed "in a couple of days."
Wednesday's statement by the hard-line judiciary appears to be a message that only its officials can set the timetables and conditions on any possible release and not the president, who is locked in a bitter power struggle with Iran's ruling clerics who control the courts.
However, the judiciary official added that the release on bail of Bauer and Fattal was under review.
"Their lawyers have requested Bauer and Fattal be released on bail and the judge of the court is reviewing it ... Only the judiciary is authorized to reveal information on this case," a judiciary statement said, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
TEHRAN — Two Americans arrested while hiking in Iran and convicted of spying will not be released imminently, a judiciary official said Wednesday.
"The two Americans are going to stay in prison for a bit longer," Iran's English-language Press TV quoted the official as saying. "Reports of their imminent release are wrong."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told NBC News on Tuesday that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would be freed "in a couple of days."
Wednesday's statement by the hard-line judiciary appears to be a message that only its officials can set the timetables and conditions on any possible release and not the president, who is locked in a bitter power struggle with Iran's ruling clerics who control the courts.
New hurdle for US hikers jailed in Iran (04:12)
However, the judiciary official added that the release on bail of Bauer and Fattal was under review.
"Their lawyers have requested Bauer and Fattal be released on bail and the judge of the court is reviewing it ... Only the judiciary is authorized to reveal information on this case," a judiciary statement said, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The statement suggests that the bail plan for Bauer and Fattal still needs to be approved by the higher ranks Iran's legal system, which include members of the theocracy's inner circle — a potentially embarrassing rejection of Ahmadinejad's prediction of the Americans' imminent release.
Bauer and Fattal, both 29, were sentenced last month to three years each for illegal entry into Iran and five years each for spying for the United States. They have denied the charges and appealed the verdicts.
During a one-on-one interview with Ann Curry on NBC's TODAY, Ahmadinejad said the Americans would be freed in what he called a humanitarian gesture shortly before the Iranian president travels to the United Nations in New York.
"They illegally crossed our borders," Ahmadinejad told Curry. "And they were arrested by the border guards. And all countries have laws for illegal border-crossing. They have very tough laws. We have the same laws here in the country."
Citing defense lawyer Masoud Shafiei, the Associated Press reported later Tuesday that Iran had set bail of $500,000 for the two men. He said the court would free Bauer and Fattal after the money was paid.
A third American, Sarah Shourd, was arrested along with the men and she returned to the United States after she was released on $500,000 bail. Her case remains open
On Tuesday, the State Department said it was aware of the reports and was working with Switzerland, which represents American interests in Iran, to find out about the men's status.
An official said Tuesday that the U.S. had no independent confirmation that the men were to be released.
In August, before the men were convicted, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said he hoped "the trial of the two American defendants who were detained for the crime of illegally entering Iran will finally lead to their freedom."
The gap between Salehi's words and the verdict and eight-year sentence indicated an increasing rift between Ahmadinejad's administration and hardline judiciary.
It is controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters.
Tuesday's reports raised hopes among relatives of Fattal and Bauer.
"While we do not have further details at this time, we are overjoyed by the positive news reports from Iran," the families said in a statement. "Shane and Josh's freedom means more to us than anything and it's a huge relief to read that they are going to be released. We're grateful to everyone who has supported us and looking forward to our reunion with Shane and Josh. We hope to say more when they are finally back in our arms."
Bauer, Fattal and Shourd insisted they were hiking in northern Iraq when they inadvertently strayed over the border into Iran in July 2009.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44514259/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/
-
updated 1 hour 51 minutes ago
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
TEHRAN — Two Americans arrested while hiking in Iran and convicted of spying will not be released imminently, a judiciary official said Wednesday.
"The two Americans are going to stay in prison for a bit longer," Iran's English-language Press TV quoted the official as saying. "Reports of their imminent release are wrong."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told NBC News on Tuesday that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would be freed "in a couple of days."
Wednesday's statement by the hard-line judiciary appears to be a message that only its officials can set the timetables and conditions on any possible release and not the president, who is locked in a bitter power struggle with Iran's ruling clerics who control the courts.
However, the judiciary official added that the release on bail of Bauer and Fattal was under review.
"Their lawyers have requested Bauer and Fattal be released on bail and the judge of the court is reviewing it ... Only the judiciary is authorized to reveal information on this case," a judiciary statement said, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
TEHRAN — Two Americans arrested while hiking in Iran and convicted of spying will not be released imminently, a judiciary official said Wednesday.
"The two Americans are going to stay in prison for a bit longer," Iran's English-language Press TV quoted the official as saying. "Reports of their imminent release are wrong."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told NBC News on Tuesday that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would be freed "in a couple of days."
Wednesday's statement by the hard-line judiciary appears to be a message that only its officials can set the timetables and conditions on any possible release and not the president, who is locked in a bitter power struggle with Iran's ruling clerics who control the courts.
New hurdle for US hikers jailed in Iran (04:12)
However, the judiciary official added that the release on bail of Bauer and Fattal was under review.
"Their lawyers have requested Bauer and Fattal be released on bail and the judge of the court is reviewing it ... Only the judiciary is authorized to reveal information on this case," a judiciary statement said, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The statement suggests that the bail plan for Bauer and Fattal still needs to be approved by the higher ranks Iran's legal system, which include members of the theocracy's inner circle — a potentially embarrassing rejection of Ahmadinejad's prediction of the Americans' imminent release.
Bauer and Fattal, both 29, were sentenced last month to three years each for illegal entry into Iran and five years each for spying for the United States. They have denied the charges and appealed the verdicts.
During a one-on-one interview with Ann Curry on NBC's TODAY, Ahmadinejad said the Americans would be freed in what he called a humanitarian gesture shortly before the Iranian president travels to the United Nations in New York.
"They illegally crossed our borders," Ahmadinejad told Curry. "And they were arrested by the border guards. And all countries have laws for illegal border-crossing. They have very tough laws. We have the same laws here in the country."
Citing defense lawyer Masoud Shafiei, the Associated Press reported later Tuesday that Iran had set bail of $500,000 for the two men. He said the court would free Bauer and Fattal after the money was paid.
A third American, Sarah Shourd, was arrested along with the men and she returned to the United States after she was released on $500,000 bail. Her case remains open
On Tuesday, the State Department said it was aware of the reports and was working with Switzerland, which represents American interests in Iran, to find out about the men's status.
An official said Tuesday that the U.S. had no independent confirmation that the men were to be released.
In August, before the men were convicted, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said he hoped "the trial of the two American defendants who were detained for the crime of illegally entering Iran will finally lead to their freedom."
The gap between Salehi's words and the verdict and eight-year sentence indicated an increasing rift between Ahmadinejad's administration and hardline judiciary.
It is controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters.
Tuesday's reports raised hopes among relatives of Fattal and Bauer.
"While we do not have further details at this time, we are overjoyed by the positive news reports from Iran," the families said in a statement. "Shane and Josh's freedom means more to us than anything and it's a huge relief to read that they are going to be released. We're grateful to everyone who has supported us and looking forward to our reunion with Shane and Josh. We hope to say more when they are finally back in our arms."
Bauer, Fattal and Shourd insisted they were hiking in northern Iraq when they inadvertently strayed over the border into Iran in July 2009.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44514259/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/