Three Americans to stand trial in Iran mid May

The lawyer of the three US nationals, Massoud Shafiei told ISNA that Iranian Foreign Ministry has issued summons for Sarah Shourd, one of the prisoners released last year, to appear in the court.

Shafiei said he has failed to meet the two other clients although the judge in charge of the case has agreed with the demand for meeting.

"A citation was issued for me stressing my presence in the trial session," he continued.

Iran released Sarah Shourd last September on a $500,000 bail.

The three Americans Shourd, 31, Shane Michael Bauer and Joshua Felix Fattal, both 27, were arrested in July 2009 after illegally crossing the border from the mountains of Iraq's Kurdistan region.

They were charged with espionage.

Shourd was handed over to Swiss embassy in Iran which represents the US interests.

Bauer and Fattal will remain in jail and the trio will have to stand trial for espionage.