"Saeed Kamali Dehghan" - Iran jails American hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal for eight years
August 21, 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/20/iran-shane-bauer-josh-fattal
Both men were arrested in July 2009 after they crossed into Iran from Iraq
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 20 August 2011
An Iranian court has sentenced two Americans accused of espionage and illegally crossing the border to eight years in jail, Iran's state-run television reported on Saturday.
Sources from Iran's judiciary told the news channel Irinn that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 29, described as "US hikers", have each been imprisoned for three years for illegally entering Iran, and a further five years each for spying on behalf of the US intelligence services. The channel said the men, who had already been held for two years, have 20 days to appeal against the verdict, which was issued by the a branch of the revolutionary court.
Their lawyer, Masoud Shafii, said he had not yet been informed of the court's verdict, an Iranian news website, Khabaronline, reported.
In July 2009, Bauer and Fattal along with their friend, Sarah Shourd, 33, were arrested by Iranian security forces after walking across an unmarked border between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. Shourd was released last September on health grounds, on bail of $500,000 (£324,000). While in prison, Shourd became engaged to Bauer.
