Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug.1 / Trend, T. Jafarov /
A lawyer defending U.S. citizens who were arrested two years ago in Iran hopes the court will issue a decision on imprisonment for two years.
Therefore, the U.S. citizens could be released, as they have been under arrest already for two years, lawyer Masoud Shafiee said in an interview with Trend.
The U.S. citizens, Sarah Shourd, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, were arrested in Iran two years ago after they illegally entered the country from its western borders.
Initially, Tehran accused the U.S. citizens of crossing the border illegally.
Later, they were charged with espionage.
Shourd was released on bail of $500,000 on the occasion of Ramadan holiday on Sept. 14, 2010. However, other two U.S. citizens are under arrest.
Shafiee said the agenda does not include the U.S. citizens' acquittal yet.
"The U.S. citizens are under arrest already for two years, but despite this their acquittal is not on the agenda. Only the court can make a decision on their release, what we hope for," Shafiee said.
He added that, under the law, the court must announce its decision
within a week after the last court hearing. Therefore, the U.S.
citizens may be released this week.
The last trial over arrested U.S. citizens was held on Sunday.
Earlier, Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi said the detained U.S. citizens can be exchanged with Iranian citizens, who are in U.S. prisons. In late May, the Iranian government allowed the prisoners' mothers to meet with their children.