Sarah Shourd: U.S. Hiker Released from Iran Prison

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New York (GaeaTimes.com) - Iran released an American woman on a bail of $500,000 Tuesday after spending more than a year in prison. She was detained as her family could not pay such an amount, but authorities said they were not considering the immediate release of two companions arrested. The half-million dollars amount may seem like a lot for someone accused of spying, but within the United States itself, the same bail amount has been set in an enormous variety of cases, including multiple assaults, evidence tampering, billion-dollar business fraud and missing child support payments.

According to a statement posted to the website of Jaffari-Dowlatabadi’s office, she has been handed to the Swiss embassy which handles the United States interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations between Washington and Iran. Shourd, 32 along with friends Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal, both 28, were arrested by Iranian authorities more than 13 months ago during what their relatives say was an ill-fated hiking trip along the Iran-Iraq border on July 31, 2009, and accused of spying. The three Americans’ case has further extended ties between Tehran and Washington, which accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities and weakening peace in the Middle East, it has also thrown light between the battles within Iran’s political establishments.

Her mother stated she is having health problems and thus demanded for her release, but it was not immediately clear whether Shourd would be able to immediately leave Iran. Her lawyer and Jaffari-Dowlatabadi indicated earlier this week that she could. The families of the three claim they were innocent hikers in Iraq’s scenic Kurdish region.