DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Iran will begin its trial of three U.S. hikers on espionage charges on Nov. 6.
Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, two of the captured hikers, have been held in a jail outside of Tehran for more than a year. The only female hiker, Sarah Shourd, was released on bail to the U.S. last month.
“It is true that on November 6 their trial will start at 10 a.m.,” the lawyer for the pair, Masoud Shafii, told AFP.
“The three are accused of espionage and illegally entering the country.”
Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi confirmed that Fattal and Bauer would be tried. “The two Americans will be tried,” he told ISNA. “We will hand any evidence we have to the judiciary.”
Shourd left Iran on Sept. 14 after bail was raised to the tune of $500,000.
Shafii said it was up to her family whether or not she would return to attend the trial. “If she is not present, it will hurt her bail,” he said. “I cannot request that she be present. It is up to them to decide. I as a lawyer have only informed them of the time of the trial, and I will execute my duty to defend the three.”
Shortly after her release, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said that Shourd would be tried in absentia if she did not attend.
The judge behind the trial of the three will be Abolqasem Salavati, who has presided over several anti-government cases, especially those involved in the protests following last year’s disputed election.
The arrest of the hikers, who are accused of spying for the CIA, has strained to the breaking point tensions between the United States and Iran over the country’s nuclear program. Under the country’s penal code, espionage can be punished by execution.
In a press conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the men to be released on “humanitarian” grounds.
“We do not believe that there is any basis whatsoever for them to be put on trial, and we regret that they and their families are being subjected to a criminal system that we do not think in any way reflects their actions,” she said.
“So it’s our continuing request to the Iranian government that, just as they released the young woman, that they release these two young men,” Clinton said.
Iran released on Saturday Iranian-American businessman Reza Taghavi, 71, who had been held in the same jail as the hikers for 2.5 years. His charges were related to giving money to a banned anti-government organization and being behind a bombing that killed 14 people.
Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, two of the captured hikers, have been held in a jail outside of Tehran for more than a year. The only female hiker, Sarah Shourd, was released on bail to the U.S. last month.
“It is true that on November 6 their trial will start at 10 a.m.,” the lawyer for the pair, Masoud Shafii, told AFP.
“The three are accused of espionage and illegally entering the country.”
Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi confirmed that Fattal and Bauer would be tried. “The two Americans will be tried,” he told ISNA. “We will hand any evidence we have to the judiciary.”
Shourd left Iran on Sept. 14 after bail was raised to the tune of $500,000.
Shafii said it was up to her family whether or not she would return to attend the trial. “If she is not present, it will hurt her bail,” he said. “I cannot request that she be present. It is up to them to decide. I as a lawyer have only informed them of the time of the trial, and I will execute my duty to defend the three.”
Shortly after her release, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said that Shourd would be tried in absentia if she did not attend.
The judge behind the trial of the three will be Abolqasem Salavati, who has presided over several anti-government cases, especially those involved in the protests following last year’s disputed election.
The arrest of the hikers, who are accused of spying for the CIA, has strained to the breaking point tensions between the United States and Iran over the country’s nuclear program. Under the country’s penal code, espionage can be punished by execution.
In a press conference, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the men to be released on “humanitarian” grounds.
“We do not believe that there is any basis whatsoever for them to be put on trial, and we regret that they and their families are being subjected to a criminal system that we do not think in any way reflects their actions,” she said.
“So it’s our continuing request to the Iranian government that, just as they released the young woman, that they release these two young men,” Clinton said.
Iran released on Saturday Iranian-American businessman Reza Taghavi, 71, who had been held in the same jail as the hikers for 2.5 years. His charges were related to giving money to a banned anti-government organization and being behind a bombing that killed 14 people.
