nastyleg
11-09-2009, 03:48 PM
Iran charges three Americans with espionage
Iran has charged three detained US citizens with espionage, Iranian state news agency Irna said yesterday.
By Our Foreign Staff
Published: 4:52PM GMT 09 Nov 2009
Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27, were held after they crossed into Iran from northern Iraq at the end of July. Their families said they strayed across the border accidentally.
"The three are charged with espionage," Tehran's prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, told IRNA. "Investigations continue into the three detained Americans in Iran."
However, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there was no evidence to back the claims.
The case comes at a time of increased tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear plans and after Iranian officials accused foreign nations of fuelling the unrest that erupted after a June's disputed presidential election.
The United States has sent strong messages to Iran urging the release of the three hikers, calling on the authorities to exercises "compassion" towards them.
"We believe strongly that there is no evidence to support any charge whatsoever," Mrs Clinton said.
"And we would renew our request on behalf of these three young people and their families that the Iranian government exercise compassion and release them so they can return home, and we will continue to make that case," she added.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggested in an interview with the American television network NBC in September that the Americans' release might be linked to the release of Iranian diplomats he said were being held by US troops in Iraq.
Under Iran's Islamic sharia law, espionage is a crime that is punishable by death.
Some Iranian officials linked the illegal entry of the Americans to the turmoil that erupted after Iran's June poll.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/6532286/Iran-charges-three-Americans-with-espionage.html
Iran has charged three detained US citizens with espionage, Iranian state news agency Irna said yesterday.
By Our Foreign Staff
Published: 4:52PM GMT 09 Nov 2009
Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27, were held after they crossed into Iran from northern Iraq at the end of July. Their families said they strayed across the border accidentally.
"The three are charged with espionage," Tehran's prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, told IRNA. "Investigations continue into the three detained Americans in Iran."
However, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there was no evidence to back the claims.
The case comes at a time of increased tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear plans and after Iranian officials accused foreign nations of fuelling the unrest that erupted after a June's disputed presidential election.
The United States has sent strong messages to Iran urging the release of the three hikers, calling on the authorities to exercises "compassion" towards them.
"We believe strongly that there is no evidence to support any charge whatsoever," Mrs Clinton said.
"And we would renew our request on behalf of these three young people and their families that the Iranian government exercise compassion and release them so they can return home, and we will continue to make that case," she added.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggested in an interview with the American television network NBC in September that the Americans' release might be linked to the release of Iranian diplomats he said were being held by US troops in Iraq.
Under Iran's Islamic sharia law, espionage is a crime that is punishable by death.
Some Iranian officials linked the illegal entry of the Americans to the turmoil that erupted after Iran's June poll.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/6532286/Iran-charges-three-Americans-with-espionage.html