Iran releases detained US hiker blaming 'intelligence job'
Published by Julia Volkovah under bail money, Iranian judiciary, US men on 6:02 AM
Two American national who were detained for eight years in Iran for intelligence job have been freed on bail, say state media.
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were transferred to the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which signifies US concerns in Iran.
Both the man were held in 2009 after crossing into Iran from Iraq, where they said they were hiking, and were punished in September this year.
Reports said Iranian courts had set their bail at five billion Rayals equivalent to $400,000.
Bauer and Fattal's lawyer, Masoud Shafii, told reporters earlier: "I have obtained essential signatures from court authorities for their liberation on bail. Certainly both will be released today.
"There is no hurdle to their liberty right now. It's only a issue of time before they are out of imprison."
He said there had been "a slightly difficulty with the bail cash but that he expected the condition would immediately be solved. He told AFP news agency that the cash had been given by the state of Oman.
State media had referred Mr. Shafii as saying the give up would hold at 1500 local time (1030 GMT).
Swiss embassy vehicles were observed arriving at Evin jail, where the men had been detained, on Wednesday morning, and the courts then verified they had been freed.
It is considered both will be flown to Oman before being coming back to the US.
Bauer and Fattal have always continued they strayed into Iran by chance while walking in the badly-indicated border region.
A third American, Sarah Shourd - who was detained with them - was released on bail last year on compassionate basis and returned home. She did not come back to face investigation, saying the experience would have been so disturbing. Bauer and Ms Shourd became involved while in jail.
The two were detained in July 2009 after journeying to the Kurdistan region of Iraq for a week's holiday. They were impeded and held by Iranian security forced who told them they were in Iranian border.
Bauer and Fattal were crooked in September of spying and unlawful entrance. Ms. Shourd pleaded not fault in absentia but did not return to stand trial, mentioning poor health.
The case has mounted worries between the US and Iran, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying she was "extremely disappointed" by the punishment.
Prior this month, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had said Bauer and Fattal would be freed within days, but authorities afterward rejected that any conclusion had been made.
The liberation comes a day before Mr Ahmadinejad is expected in New York for a meeting of the UN General Assembly.
