Iranian foreign minister hopes for release of US hikers
August 7th, 2011 - 1:20 am ICT by BNO NewsTEHRAN (BNO NEWS) — Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Saturday that he hopes that the two American hikers detained in Iran on espionage charges will be released soon, the state-run Press TV reported.
“God willing … the Judiciary will present necessary information in this respect when the time is right,” Salehi said at a press conference in Tehran. He also praised the Judiciary for processing the case with “fairness and justice.”
The fourth and final trial session to address the charges against Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal was held on July 31 behind closed doors in the absence of Shourd, who was released in September 2010 on bail. They were all arrested in July 2009 after allegedly crossing the border while hiking in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
They were later charged with espionage after the Tehran prosecutor found “compelling evidence” that the three U.S. citizens had been cooperating with U.S. intelligence agencies. The three American nationals have pleaded not guilty.
The Iranian foreign minister also made a reference to the condition of Iranian nationals detained in the U.S., including Shahrzad Mir-Qolikhan, an Iranian woman who has been in a U.S. prison for three years.
- Iran summons freed U.S. hiker Sara Shourd for trial - Feb 01, 2011
- Iran approves release of U.S. citizens convicted of spying - Sep 21, 2011
- Iran to release one of three US hikers held for over a year - Sep 10, 2010
- Iran summons freed US woman for trial - Feb 01, 2011
- Iran sentences US hikers to eight years in jail - Aug 21, 2011
- Iranian minister calls for trial of American hikers accused of espionage - Oct 17, 2010
- US hiker detained in Iran to be freed - Sep 10, 2010
- Iran to release detained US hikers - Sep 13, 2011
- U.S. hikers' trial in Iran delayed - Nov 07, 2010
- Iran spied upon from centres in neighbouring countries: MP - Nov 10, 2011
- Muhammad Ali wants Iran to release the hikers - May 25, 2011
- Ahmadinejad wants US to release Iranians in return of hiker - Sep 18, 2010
- Iran 'holds back' release of one of three US hikers held for over a year - Sep 11, 2010
- Iran frees female US hiker - Sep 14, 2010
- US disappointed by Iran's sentencing of hikers: Clinton - Aug 22, 2011
Tags: ali akbar, american hikers, american nationals, bno, closed doors, compelling evidence, crossing the border, espionage, fattal, intelligence agencies, iranian foreign minister, iranian nationals, iranian woman, judiciary, kurdistan, salehi, shane bauer, shourd, tehran, trial session