Iran’s state prosecutor on Saturday defended the sentences handed to two Americans who were convicted of illegal entry and espionage.
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were each given eight-year jail terms – three years for entering Iran illegally and five years for spying.
They were arrested along with a third U.S. citizen, Sarah Shourd, in July 2009 when they crossed the unmarked border from Iraq’s Kurdistan region. The trio said they had been hiking in the area and denied the charges brought against them.
“The detained Americans had been charged (with espionage), their charges were thoroughly investigated and proven and eventually convicted by court,” Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejehi told Fars news agency.
The state prosecutor rejected reports that the case has been politicized by the judiciary, saying that the court has decided independently and without any political considerations.
