Iran to Release Detained US Citizen on Bail

Fars News Agency- Iran is ready to free on bail one of the three US citizens arrested by Iranian security forces in July 2009 after crossing Iran-Iraq borders illegally, a judiciary official announced on Sunday.

Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said that the country has set a $500,000 bail for an already arrested American woman Sarah Shourd.

Her detention sentence has turned into a 500,000-dollar bail, he said.

The detention sentence of the two other Americans has been extended, he told a press conference.

Dolatabadi also said the cases of the three Americans have been sent to the court, "an indictment has been issued for the three US nationals."
Joshua Felix Fattal, 27, along with Shane Michael Bauer, 27, and Sarah Emily Shourd, 31 were arrested in the western Iranian district of Marivan, at the Malakh-Khur border point on July 31, 2009 for crossing Iran’s borders with Iraq illegally.

They were later charged with espionage by Jafari Dolatabadi.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had earlier said that the three young Americans had "suspicious intentions" in crossing the border and would stand trial in the country.

"The three American citizens will be tried by Iran’s judiciary system and the relevant judiciary verdicts on their cases will be issued,’’ Mottaki said.

In August the Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi announced that the investigation into the case of the three individuals was close to completion and that Tehran would announce the results when it is completed

Sanctions against Iran Central Bank impossible: Vice Governor

ISNA-Sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank are impossible, said the bank’s Vice Governor for Foreign Exchange Affairs Hamid Borhani.

"Iranian Central Bank should not be sanctioned in accordance with international standards and principles and it is not sanctioned at all," he told ISNA.

"Iraqi central bank did not face embargo when the country came under tough sanctions," he added.

Iran came under the fourth set of the UN Security Council sanction early June over its refusal to halt peaceful nuclear activities.

The sanctions have mainly targeted Iran’s economy and banking.

Some foreign media have already reported of possible sanctions against Iranian central bank.