Sarah Shourd, one of three American hikers detained the last 14 months, will be released due to health concerns, the Associated Press reported yesterday. Shourd will be released on $500,000 bail and her case will still go to trial, along with the two other American hikers, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer.
According to Shourd’s lawyer, Masoud Shafiei, Shourd will hopefully be released within the next two-to-three days.
The news of Shourd’s release comes after a weekend full of mixed messages. On Thursday, Shourd’s release was first reported but then scuttled the next day. Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabi stated that Shourd’s release would be announced specifically through the courts. But Dowlatabi announced yesterday that due to reports of Shourd’s sickness and the approval of the residing judge, Shourd will be released after all. Shourd’s lawyer says that he is in contact with the Swiss Embassy in Tehran to post bail.
