Iranian ambassador rejects AP report over two U.S. suspects

TEHRAN, Aug. 7 (MNA) – Iranian ambassador to Iraq Hassan Danaiifar has rejected an AP report which quoted him as saying that the two Americans charged with espionage in Iran will be released very soon.

The Associated Press reported Danaiifar as saying in an interview on Thursday, “We hope and expect that very soon they (the two Americans) will be released.”

However, Danaiifar told IRNA news agency on Saturday that he told AP the case is still under investigation by the Judiciary.

He said because the AP reporter insisted in knowing when the two Americans will possibly be released, in response, “I said the dossier is not completed.”

The ambassador also said he only hoped all prisoners will be released soon.

He added, “Of course, I pointed out that one of the gifts of Muslims in Ramadan is pardoning prisoners, thus, the AP reporter thought that (I mean) the two Americans are supposed to be released in this holy month.”

He concluded that he did not say anything that their freedom is in prospect.

Bauer, Fattal and a third American, Sarah Shourd, were arrested in July 2009 for illegally crossing Iran’s borders from Iraq’s northern Kurdish region.

Shourd was released last September on $500,000 bail but still faced the espionage charge.

Last Sunday, the Iranian lawyer representing Bauer and Fattal said he expects the court to announce its verdict in their case this week.

The lawyer, Masoud Shafiei, said he hoped that even if the Americans were found guilty, they would only be sentenced to time already served.