U.S. hikers jailed in Iran may be released after bail is paid

[seabeyond]

Two American hikers sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage and illegal entry into Iran may be released "in a couple of days," according to Iran's president.

Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer will be released from Tehran's Evin prison after a $500,000 bail is paid for each of them, their attorney, Masoud Shafiee, said Tuesday. The attorney said the hikers' families are attempting to get the money.

The two have been imprisoned in Iran for more than two years. They and a third hiker, Sarah Shourd, were seized on July 31, 2009, while hiking in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

They apparently strayed across an unmarked border and were unaware they had crossed into Iran. Iranian authorities arrested them, claiming they were spies and had entered the country illegally.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/13/iran.hikers.release/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
_______________________

i hope so.

[hobbit709]

1. That's called ransom.

Maybe they learned a lesson about stupidity.

[seabeyond]

2. lucky them

i would pay it.

[slackmaster]

3. Exactly. That culture really isn't hard to figure out.

I'll never set foot in that country, or anywhere near it.

[leveymg]

4. "Hikers" or "art students"?

:eyes:

[seabeyond]

5. can a hiker not be an art student? nt

[slackmaster]

6. They can be both, and also be SPIES all at the same time!

[seabeyond]

7. mmm... true that. but i dont have the answer

just glad they are being released

[slackmaster]

8. There's really nothing to figure out

They stumbled into Iran by mistake, got kidnapped by a corrupt, barbaric society, and are being held for ransom.

[seabeyond]

9. ah...

i thought you were on the side that they are spies. from the little i gather, there are people that say they are. i have not been following, but i dont really care. i felt good about them getting out of there.

[slackmaster]

11. There was nothing worth spying on, in the area where they were captured

It's open space, scenic wilderness.

[leveymg]

15. Open space, except for the armed Kurdish separatist groups operating out of the area.

Not necessarily "spying" in the sense of taking photos of missile installations, but communicating with militants (assuming that's what they might have been doing there) would be considered "espionage", if not terrorism, in any country.

It's a plausible explanation, anyway.

[Behind the Aegis]

14. Are you implying they were Israelis?

If so, you have anything resembling proof? For that matter, any proof they were actually spies? Or are you :eyes: because you think it is absurd they were captured and classified as "spies?"

[Romulox]

10. "CIA agents released after ransom money paid" nt

[snooper2]

12. CIA Agents are known for their bubble blowing abilities

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Romulox]

13. I know. A young family like that...who could believe they were CIA?