Iran to release one of three captured US hikers

The three Americans are reportedly being held in the Evin prison

Iran is to free on Saturday one of three detained American hikers accused of espionage, officials in Tehran say.

An Iranian official named her as Sarah Shourd, 31. No reason has been given for her release.

She was seized with Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 27, last July. Tehran accuses them of entering illegally and having links to US intelligence.

The hikers' families say they were in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region and unintentionally crossed the border.
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Analysis
Jon Leyne

On Thursday, reporters in Tehran received the text message from the Iranian culture ministry, which - according to the Associated Press - said: "The release of one of the detained Americans will be on Saturday, 0900am at the Estaghlal hotel."

This is the same hotel in Tehran where the parents of the Americans were allowed to briefly meet them in May.

The mothers of the three hikers released a joint statement saying they had not been contacted by the Iranian government.

"We have seen the news reports and are urgently seeking further information," a joint statement from Cindy Hickey, Nora Shourd and Laura Fattal said.

"We hope and pray that the reports are true and that this signals the end of all three of our children's long and difficult detention."

The Americans have been held in Tehran's Evin prison.

They have not been publicly charged.

Cindy Hickey, mother of hiker Shane Bauer: "I'm excited for a release"

In December, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said they would stand trial, but he did not specify on what charges.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Tehran to free the hikers, and said that any charges would be unfounded.
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analysis 

so that's it after a year of  fearful rhetoric finally iran accept the allegation claimed by us that three hikers were only visitors and were wasted of beautiful nature who were also lost and Mistakenly crossed the border

but the question is why and how they have been captured for almost a year?

the news is that iranian intelligence  always claimed that they are impersonated spies and they must go before court and make them a brilliant  bargaining chip.

 but when  they got into trouble because of western media's propaganda against stoning of a woman named Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani they obviously decided to exploit the situation and by releasing female hiker

in the name of human rights and respect for women  mislead western media's about brutal circumstances and  conditions of prisoners particularly political ones in iran.

the truth is officials in iran are frighten of people's respond.

and always broadcast misinformation and extravagant news about iran's advances to mislead their minds. 

after last years controversial  elections millions of brave iranian despair of west's support  came to street and rallied against government but they faced brutal crackdown and huge arrests under the shadow of west countries's silence.

and now people are asking question  about us dual standards and reaction against freeing of the hikers.

and they're worry that us will make a deal with iranian regime again; and will leave them alone and forget  all about iranian's freedom.