Hope for hikers

The fate of two American hikers in an Iranian prison for more than two years may now depend on Iran’s internal politics.

Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal will be released as a humanitarian gesture “in a couple of days.” The 29-year-old men are serving eight-year sentences in an Iranian prison after being convicted on espionage charges. Their lawyers said that an Iranian court had set bail for the two at $500,000 each.

President Ahmadinejad’s comments were aimed at improving Iran’s image and international relations as he prepares to attend a U.N. General Assembly meeting next week.

His remark brought some relief to overjoyed families. However, shortly after he raised their hopes, Iran’s judiciary contradicted President Ahmadinejad, saying that the bail offer was under review and that “any information supplied by individuals is not authoritative.” There is an ongoing power struggle between the hard-line clerics who control the courts and President Ahmadinejad, so the judiciary’s comments could be taken as a personal rebuke.

Their case is also caught up in strained U.S.-Iranian relations over Iran’s nuclear development program.

The latest development resembles that of Sarah Shourd, who was arrested with the two men in July 2009 after Iran alleged that the three hikers had crossed the unmarked Iraqi border into Iran. She was released on $500,000 bail last September, also just before a General Assembly meeting.

Hopefully, the ordeal for Mr. Bauer and Mr. Fattal will finally end the same way.