US Hikers' Lawyer: We'll Appeal

Hillary Clinton calls for their immediate release
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 21, 2011 9:26 AM CDT
US Hikers Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal Plan Appeal in Iran
FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011 file photo, US hikers Shane Bauer, left, and Josh Fattal, attend their trail at the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Iran. The website of Iran's state TV reported Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011 that two American hikers held in Iran have been sentenced to 8 years in jail each....   (Anonymous)

Iran is attracting some attention after it sentenced American hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal to eight years in prison yesterday. The duo's lawyer is vowing an appeal, saying, "I will use entire legal capacity to defend them." He has 20 days to do so, and the AP notes that sentences in such cases are often reduced significantly on appeal. The case of Sarah Shourd, the third hiker detained who was released on bail last year, "is still open and will be tried in absentia," says the chief prosecutor.

Enough is enough, says Hillary Clinton, saying that she's "deeply disappointed" by the sentences. The secretary of state called for Bauer and Fattal's immediate release, adding that "it is time for them to return home and be reunited with their families." It's worth noting that Iran's foreign minister earlier this month said he hoped the hikers' trial would "lead to their freedom"—an indication of a split between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration and hardline judges. (More Sarah Shourd stories.)

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