<<Print>>

Two US men who were jailed for eight years in Iran for spying have been released on bail, say state media. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were handed over to the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which represents US interests in Iran. The pair were arrested in 2009 after crossing into Iran from Iraq, where they said they were hiking, and were sentenced in September this year. Reports said Iran's judiciary had set their bail at five billion rials ($400,000). Bauer and Fattal's lawyer, Masoud Shafii, told reporters earlier: "I have got necessary signatures from judiciary officials for their release on bail. Hopefully the two will be freed today. "There is no obstacle to their freedom now. It's only a matter of time before they are out of jail." He said there had been "a minor problem" with the bail money but that he hoped the situation would soon be resolved. He told AFP news agency that the money had been provided by the state of Oman. State media had quoted Mr Shafii as saying the handover would take place at 1500 local time (1030 GMT). Swiss embassy vehicles were seen arriving at Evin prison, where the men had been held, on Wednesday morning, and the judiciary then confirmed they had been released. It is believed the pair will be flown to Oman before being returning to the US. 'Finally free' Bauer and Fattal have always maintained they strayed into Iran accidentally while walking in the poorly-marked border region. A third American, Sarah Shourd - who was arrested with them - was freed on bail last year on humanitarian grounds and returned home. She did not return to face trial, saying the experience would have been too traumatic. Bauer and Ms Shourd became engaged while in prison. The trio were arrested in July 2009 after travelling to the Kurdistan region of Iraq for a week's holiday. They were stopped and arrested by Iranian troops who told them they were in Iranian territory. Bauer and Fattal were convicted in September of espionage and illegal entry. Ms Shourd pleaded not guilty in absentia but did not return to stand trial, citing ill health. The case has heightened tensions between the US and Iran, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying she was "deeply disappointed" by the sentences. Earlier this month, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had said Bauer and Fattal would be released within days, but officials later denied that any decision had been reached. The release comes a day before Mr Ahmadinejad is expected in New York for a meeting of the UN General Assembly.