IRAN: Envoy says U.S. hikers should be freed within days

Record ID: 313654

  • Title: IRAN: Envoy says U.S. hikers should be freed within days
  • Date: 19th September 2011
  • Summary: TEHRAN, IRAN (SEPTEMBER 18, 2011) (REUTERS - NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN TV/ VOA PERSIAN NEWS NETWORK (RESTRICTION IMPOSED LOCALLY BY IRANIAN AUTHORITIES) IRAQI ENVOY TO TEHRAN NAZEM DABBAGH SPEAKING ON HIS PHONE IN HIS OFFICE FLAGS OF IRAQ AND KURDISTAN INSIDE DABBAGH'S OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAQI ENVOY TO TEHRAN NAZEM DABBAGH, SAYING: "Last year for the Occasion of Eid celebrations, Mr. Talabani was among a number of presidents who came to Tehran to participate in the celebrations of Nowruz, and requested from the President of Iran Dr. Ahmadinejad to help with the release of these three Americans who entered Iran. This year at the anti-terrorism conference, during a meeting with the Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, he repeatedly requested this. They both agreed that at an opportune moment, after their court session and sentence is given, they will free them somehow and forgive them." PHOTOGRAPH OF IRAQI PRESIDENT JALAL TALABANI AND PRESIDENT OF IRAQ'S KURDISH REGION MASOUD BARZANI ON OFFICE WALL OF DABBAGHI (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAQI ENVOY TO TEHRAN NAZEM DABBAGH, SAYING: "I expect that, God willing, over the next day or two, I predict that before the visit of Dr. Ahmadinejad to New York, they will be freed." DABBAGH SPEAKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAQI ENVOY TO TEHRAN NAZEM DABBAGH, SAYING: "Maybe this is because Iran wants to show its good will he is there, and for news to be hot and to be announced as the conference is taking place."
  • Embargoed: 4th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Country: Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA27U6ASUPE5ADN4HJ9AB1YRF0O
  • Story Text: Iran might set free the two American hikers detained in the Islamic state on charges of espionage by Monday, an Iraqi envoy to Tehran told Reuters television on Sunday (September 18).
    Nazem Dabbagh's comments came after Iraqi President Jalal Talabani negotiated their release with Iranian officials.
    "Last year for the Occasion of Eid celebrations, Mr. Talabani was among a number of presidents who came to Tehran to participate in the celebrations of Nowruz, and requested from the President of Iran Dr. Ahmadinejad to help with the release of these three Americans who entered Iran. This year at the anti-terrorism conference, during a meeting with the Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, he repeatedly requested this. They both agreed that at an opportune moment, after their court session and sentence is given, they will free them somehow and forgive them," said Dabbagh.
    "I expect that, God willing, over the next day or two, I predict that before the visit of Dr. Ahmadinejad to New York, they will be freed," he added.
    "Maybe this is because Iran wants to show its good will he is there, and for news to be hot and to be announced as the conference is taking place."
    Shane Bauer, 28, and Josh Fattal, 29, were arrested on the border with Iraq in 2009, where they said they were hiking. They were found guilty of illegal entry and espionage and were sentenced last month to eight years in prison.
    Last week, Iran's judiciary rejected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcement that Bauer and Fattal would be freed "in a couple of days".
    Last Tuesday (September 13), the lawyer for the U.S. men said the two would be released on a 500,000 U.S. dollar bail each. Iran's judiciary said their release was under review.
    According to Dabbagh, the detainees were excepted to be handed over to the Swiss embassy in Iran, which represents U.S. interests in Tehran since both countries cut diplomatic ties after the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah.
    Washington has denied they were spies and on Tuesday U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was encouraged by Ahmadinejad's remarks.
    The release of the two could ease tension between Tehran and Washington, particularly before Ahmadinejad visits New York next week to attend the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly.
    Iran and the United States are at odds over the Islamic state's disputed nuclear programme, which Washington says is a cover to build bombs.
    Tehran denies this, saying its nuclear programme is aimed at generating power and has so far refused to halt its nuclear work.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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