American Woman Held in Iran Says She and Fellow Hikers Aren't Spies

An American female who was held in Iran for more than 13 months and accused of espionage stated Sunday she and two adult males detained with her in no way spied or dedicated any crime, calling their arrest "a huge misunderstanding."

Discussing her knowledge for the 1st time considering that her launch Tuesday, Sarah Shourd underscored her gratitude at staying launched but stated she felt only "one-third free" since her fiance, Shane Bauer, and their friend Josh Fattal continue to be in Tehran's notorious Evin Jail.

"This isn't the time to celebrate," Shourd, 32, stated in prepared remarks for a brand new York information conference. "The only factor that enabled me to cross the gulf from jail to freedom alone was the information that Shane and Josh needed with all their hearts for my struggling to conclude."

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in New york to attend the U.N. General Assembly. He later met with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to focus on developments in Iraq, Afghanistan as well as the Center East as effectively as efforts to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, the U.N. spokesperson's workplace stated.

He named Shourd's launch "a huge humanitarian gesture" in an interview on "This Week with Christiane Amanpour." He named on the U.S. to launch 8 Iranians staying detained following arrests he stated have been illegal.

Shourd thanked Iranians and Ahmadinejad within a very carefully scripted return that spoke for the continuing delicacy of her predicament. Iran has issued espionage-related indictments against her, Bauer and Fattal; the indictments could provide trials for the two adult males and proceedings in absentia for Shourd.

But she stressed their innocence within a case that has extra for the roster of tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

The several have been detained in July 2009 following Iranian officers stated they intentionally crossed the country's border from Iraq. Echoing accounts their families have provided in their absence, Shourd stated

Sunday that the several had been mountain climbing within a popular tourist region -- near a waterfall in Iraq's Kurdistan location -- and had no concept the border was close by.

"If we have been certainly near the Iraq-Iran border, that border was completely unmarked and indistinguishable," she stated.

"Shane and Josh do not deserve to become in jail a person day lengthier than I was," she stated. "We dedicated no crime and we usually are not spies. We in no way intended any hurt for the Iranian government or its people today and believe an enormous misunderstanding led to our arrest and prolonged detention."

Shourd's mom has stated she had well being issues such as a breast lump and precancerous cervical cells. Shourd stated Sunday that doctors in Oman, where she went straight away following her launch, had determined she was physically effectively.

Officers in Oman -- an ally of both Iran as well as the United States -- mediated a $500,000 bail for Shourd that satisfied Iranian authorities and apparently didn't violate U.S. financial sanctions against Iran. The source from the bail payment has not been disclosed.

Shourd and Bauer had been residing together in Damascus, Syria, where Bauer was functioning as a freelance journalist and Shourd as an English instructor. Fattal, an environmental activist as well as a fellow graduate from the College of California at Berkeley, came to visit them final July, as well as the several went mountain climbing.

"My hope is the fact that by learning who we're and the way we came to become on this diverse and fascinating location from the world directly from my lips, it is going to enable clear up any doubts and conclude Shane and Josh's detention," Shourd stated.

She extra that she hoped their knowledge would provide "an chance for Americans and Iranians to realize that an improved connection will be inside the greatest interest of all people today."
Ahmadinejad gave no specifics in his interview with Amanpour about no matter if Bauer and Fattal may additionally be launched, stating "the scenarios need to be examined." foxnews