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Latest update: 13/09/2011
- espionage - Iran - Jerusalem
US hikers to be freed on bail, Ahmadinejad says
Two US citizens sentenced by a Tehran court to eight years in prison for espionage will be freed on bail in two days, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told US television network NBC. The men's lawyer says bail has been set at $500,000 each.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said in interviews Tuesday that Iran would release two US hikers jailed for spying in a couple of days on bail which their lawyer said had been set at $500,000 each.
"I am helping to arrange for their release in a couple of days so they will be able to return home. This is of course going to be a unilateral humanitarian gesture," Ahmadinejad told The Washington Post.
"It is a unilateral pardon" of the hikers, he added.
In a separate interview with US network NBC News, Ahmadinejad said Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal would be released "in two days" but their lawyer Masoud Shafii told AFP that they would be freed only when bail had been paid.
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The pair, who were detained in 2009, were both sentenced to eight years in jail last month on charges of espionage and illegal entry in a case that has further strained relations between Washington and Tehran.
"The Americans will be freed when the bail is paid," their lawyer told AFP, adding that the judiciary had informed him of its decision in the middle of the day Tuesday and that he had yet to contact their families.
Asked by the Post how the pair would return to the US, Ahmadinejad said that "they are free to choose".
Bauer and Fattal, were arrested near the mountainous Iraq-Iran border in July 31, 2009, along with a third hiker, Sarah Shourd, who was granted bail on humanitarian and medical grounds and allowed to leave the country in September last year.
Her bail too was set at $500,000 and was paid through Oman, a US Gulf ally that maintains relations with Iran.
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Shafii announced late last month that he had lodged an appeal against his clients' conviction.
"I believe that my clients are innocent so if the appeals judges look at the case within a legal framework, and show compassion," the pair could be freed, he said at the time.
The trio have consistently maintained that they innocently strayed across the unmarked border with Iran while hiking in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region.
The jailing of Bauer and Fattal sparked anger in Washington which already has deep diferences with Tehran over its controversial nuclear programme, its refusal to recognise Israel and its support for militant groups across the Middle East.
US President Barack Obama regarded the jail terms handed down against the pair as "an abomination," a top White House diplomatic nominee said last week.
"The administration quite agrees with you that this is an abomination, that these hikers do not belong in prison," and that they "ought to be released immediately," Wendy Sherman told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a confirmation hearing to become the State Department's number three.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "believes that we must take every opportunity we can to push this, to work with the Swiss protecting authority, which represents us in Iran, to try to get consular access to them, to push for their release," said Sherman.
Washington and Tehran have had no diplomatic relations since the aftermath of the Islamic revolution of 1979 when Islamist students seized the US embassy ion Tehran.
Its interests in Iran are looked after by the Swiss embassy.
The Swiss mission said on Tuesday it was not immediately able to confirm the Iranian judicary's decision.
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Comments (108)
Hikers freed?
Bail is conditional. If the hikers were officially charged with illegal immigration the monies paid were certainly bail. If the charge is spying the monies are RANSOM and nothing else. Since the prince of Iran does not need 1.5 mil it would follow that calling the payment "bail" was a calculated attempt to agree that they were guilty as charged. That would be incredibly stupid and short sighted. We have become weak in our compromising of our morals and principles.
the idoits hiking i iraq-iran
how much has it cost us taxpayers to free these idoits. the very government they are protesting has to bail them out.
Hikers' Ransom
Who paid the one million dollars bail for these two hikers? Did the American taxpayers get hosed again?
Who Pays the Fine? $2 MM
It used to be the "cover" for a spy was a reporter. If the 3 hikers are innocent (bumbling idiots) who strayed across the border of IRAQ and into Iran, they deserve to be jailed for stupidity at least for some time. The question remains, who DOES pay the bail, now at 1.5 million... through Oman, our ally? Does it come from private sources, secret CIA funds, State Department slush funds, or straight out of our taxes? The trio should get a bill from US. Glad to be home?
traveling outside US
What has happened in Italy and Iranin seems to tell me to be very careful traveling outside the US its to much of a risk. The likers get accused of something they did not do and so did the college students.
Hikers
Hikers or Spykers,lucky they will go home,had they been Iranians
entering US torture and never heard of again would have been the outcome.
Muslim Ransom Demand
Ahmadinejad's demand for $1 million in "bail" is, as in the previous instance, is nothing more--or less--than the ransoming of a captive infidel. As Thomas Jefferson, for one, can attest, this was a centuries-long practice among Islamic potentates of one kind or another. Indeed, the taking (through piracy) and subsequent enslavement of American sailors by North African Islamic states had a great deal to do with the "shores of Tripoli" portion of the marine anthem. Perhaps we should redeem our own captives in the same time-proven way!
who pays the bail?
who pays the bail?
A righteous man regards the
A righteous man regards the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Proverbs 12:10
hikers
Why has no one asked why they didn't have a GPS receiver?
Sold!
Thanks, Mach. You're a super guy! Hey? What did one Iranian say to the other Iranian? 'Ich blach bleccchh bakkkkccch!' Get it?
I strongly suggest they skip
I strongly suggest they skip bail. Let Achmed the Bounty Hunter try to collect that bond.
Take donations from all the
Take donations from all the liberal stooges and they should get these Berkley eduated morons home by the end of the week!
Arrogance
the arrogance of these three young people to think they know more than the US government and common sense to travel in a combat zone near a hostile country is beyond belief. These people put them selves intentionally in harms way without any concern for the consequences. This draws the US into a diplomatic mess and makes everyone look bad. They need to make a major apology to the USA and then spend 5 years in the peace corps.
No doubt this administration
No doubt this administration will pony up the cash to free them...at our expense.
Write A Check
write a check from a bank account with 5 dollars in it, when it eventually bounces the hikers will be long gone
Hikers
Tell WackmendenAjad - that he can release the Hikers or EAT a Missle
Two Idiots
These two mush brain Democrat metrosexuals should be left to stew a while longer before this Muslim whackjob is paid the ransom he is demanding.
They took a chance...
They shouldn't be "hiking" in that area of the world. Especially with everything thats going on. I'm glad they're safe, but they are foolish. They are lucky to be getting out. I'm sure they will cash in on their adventure, they should use that money to pay back the US govenment for the time and effort that was put into their release. They will be welcomed as heros, they are in reality fools.
The Rat
Leave it to the libbys at NBC to pander to this Hitler wannabe. He is the Devil on Earth and I wish Israel would drop a 3 kiloton bomb on his house. He is a human rat, pure vermin.
this guy is a pos
This guy is such a weasel pos, its time he gets to hang out with Bin Laden
bail/ransom
Call it what you will but whether you call it Sharia law or ransom, false inprisonment or kidnapping,
in the modern world it is criminal state conduct.
Hiking for Espionage
The next time they want to take a nature hike, they should choose somewhere that isn't a war zone. The next time they're hired to do espionage, they should be more careful about getting caught.
Ah....
Sweet Iranian justice... Isn't it beautiful?
Release of hikers in Iran
Just imagine the positive publicity if some rich liberal like Soros or Michael Moore donated the money!
I'll let the hikers go
I'll let the hikers go for............One million dollars.
Really?
Does he think he's Dr Evil? What a clown.
Iran
It's this akin to kidnapping and ransome? A warranst should be sworn out in New York against Ahmadinejad for his immediate arres on kidnapping charges when he next sets foot in the US which should be next month when he comes to the annual opening of the UN to give his anti-America popaganda speech to the United Nations General Assembly. We can let the various presidents and lawyers work out the politicalimmunity bit after he spends a night on and in Rikers. They can put him in the general population to see how he likes the "boys."
True colors
So he is now showing that he is in the same league as the Somali Pirates. And he advocates that the accused hikers skip the bail he imposes to return home. It all about money, not honor for him. He has no honor. The bottom of my feet to you, so called, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. The hairs rising on the back of your neck are there because someone is looking at you, close enough to call out, far enough to be hidden from your sight. The desert dogs will find you. You are a despicable example showing the lack of following the true teachings of Islam, and lack honesty and piety. To persecute innocent hikers for political gain, then to show money is the motive. Shame falls on you. People should look aside as you pass.
Pardon?
"It is a unilateral pardon" of the hikers, he added.
Pardons don't require bail.
Pardon?
"It is a unilateral pardon" of the hikers, he added.
Pardons don't require bail.
I would like to know who is
I would like to know who is going to pay the bail?
I got your $1M...
How about $1M worth of cruise missiles right up Ahmadinejad's a$$? Sorry, that's the only hard currency we have left.
Extortionist
This only proves this extortionist is no different than the Colombian or Mexican drug cartels. The Iranian government should not be recognized by civilized nations.
Dr. Evil...
Why does this bring up visions of Dr. Evil with his pinky extended to the corner of his mouth... Maybe we should send Austin Powers...
Doofuses had no business
Doofuses had no business hiking in that area in the first place. Let them rot in jail.
What a waste of money. These
What a waste of money. These two are morons just like Amahdijenad/.
Who pays?
One missing element: who actually pays this bail, given there is no prospect of it ever being returned. It better not be US Government; these were stupid, juvenile morons to be "hiking" in a war zone.
pay them in counterfeit
pay them in counterfeit bills, they'll never know the difference!
What...Ransom????
Why don't we lodge a $million Cruise missle on that guy....that is what he deserves...leading Iran to an upcoming war that the people do not want.
Simple extortion
After having been dragged INTO Iran and then held for years without trial, these two are now being held hostage for $1M. THAT says a lot about the morals and ethics of the leaders of Iran.
Innocent hikers my arse
We already have more than enough UCLA-Berkeley morons here, so we should make Iran pay us to take them back! I don’t want any more of my taxpayer dollars spent on ‘rescuing’ idiots who supposedly blunder into terrorist countries so they can make an easy fortune duping gullible leaders and writing about their reckless misadventures.
The assertion that they were merely innocent 'hikers' is simply not credible. Who in their right mind would choose to vacation in a war zone like Iraq - along a border with a terrorist nation like Iran?
Most likely they wanted to get caught so they could write books – inspired by Bill Clinton’s unconvincing "private humanitarian mission," of those two idiots from North Korea that cost taxpayers a fortune in man-years of State Department back channel negotiations and was a huge publicity coup for terrorist-dictator Kim Jong Il. Why didn’t our treasury get reimbursed from their book proceeds?
If these ‘hikers’ write a copycat book, the State Department must seize their profits on behalf of the taxpayers or we’ll just be encouraging more irresponsible behavior at taxpayer expense.
I have no problem with
I have no problem with sending Mr. A one million dollars to return these two young men safely. However, the stipulation should be that once they are safely on our shores the money is used for a labotomy on Mr. A. from Iran.
1 Million Dollars
The one Million dollars would be well spent to hire someone to put a bullet through this crazy mans (President Mahmud Ahmadinejad) head.
US hikers get bail
Can someone tell me the difference between bail and ransom?
I want to donate .....where
I want to donate .....where do I send the money? If we all threw in a couple of bucks these guys would be heading home to a wedding!
Release of Hikers
Ahmadinejad is starting to sound like Dr. Evil from Austin Powers...."For one milllllion dollars."
Achmydinnerjacket ravings
So, this is the nut that NBC is glorifying now? Calling a million-dollar extortion a pardon? Denies the Holocaust, wants peace all over the world, wants to annihilate Israel? What a piece of dog crap. And Columbia U. is going to welcome him again? 1984.
Lets give Ahmadinejad not
Lets give Ahmadinejad not just 1 million dollars, but let give him 2 million dollars. 1 Million to get the boys released and ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS IN BOMBS!!!! Its about damn time these nutbags learn that when you piss off the American people you will pay severely. But then again, the CandyAss in Chief is part of the same brotherhood as the nutbags so we may have to wait til 2012 to teach'em a proper lesson in international etiquette.
Treason
Anyone who pays that ransom should be executed for treason.
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