Iran summons freed U.S. hiker for trial

[News_Editor]

Iran summons freed U.S. hiker for trial

2011-02-01 00:19:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iran's Prosecutor General's Office on Monday summoned freed U.S. hiker Sara Shourd for trial on February 6, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"Sarah Shourd has been summoned by the Revolutionary Court to be present at next trial session," Iran's Prosecutor-General and Judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeii said.

Shourd, 32, was released on September 14 after posting a $500,000 bail. She was arrested along Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal, both aged 28 in July 2009 after they were hiking in Iraq's Kurdistan region and they crossed into the Islamic nation.

Iranian authorities charged the American hikers of entering the country illegally and having links to U.S. intelligence, a claim which the defendants and their families have repeatedly denied.

After her release, Shourd returned to the United States after meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at her own request to plea for the release of her fiancé Bauer and friend Fattal.

In late November 2010, Masoud Shafii, the lawyer of the two American hikers announced that authorities set February 6 as the trial date for both prisoners. However, Shourd has also been summoned to the trial.

Last year, President Obama told Shourd he would continue to work and do everything possible to secure the release of the other hikers as his administration remains hopeful that Iran "will do the right thing" and release the other detained Americans in Iran.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-02-01