US hikers are spies: Iran intelligence minister

Iran's intelligence minister on Wednesday accused three U.S. hikers in custody for the past 10 months of being spies, as their mothers arrived in Tehran.

"Iran has allowed the mothers ... to visit their children as a humanitarian act based on religious rules to show the world the Islamic Republic's behavior in this case," Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency, referring to a decision by Iran to grant visas for the mothers.

The three women, who have been granted one-week visas, are expected to be reunited with their children as early as Thursday at Tehran's notorious Evin prison, one of their lawyers, Masoud Shafii, told AFP.

Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27, were detained on July 31 after straying across Iran's border in what they described as a mistake while on a hiking trip in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region.

The trio are being held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. Washington insists they are innocent and should be released.

"Despite their being spies and entering Iran illegally, they were dealt with according to religious teachings and in a humanitarian way," Moslehi said.

The families of the three deny the spying allegations and say they merely strayed into Iran while hiking in northern Iraq.

"We have to see how the Americans will react towards the innocent Iranians kidnapped and transferred there," Moslehi added.

In December, Iranian media published a list of 11 Iranians they said were being held by the United States or other countries.

They added that Iran's foreign ministry was pressing "vigorously" for the release of the 11, three of whom have allegedly been detained in countries outside the United States at Washington's request.

Despite their being spies and entering Iran illegally, they were dealt with according to religious teachings and in a humanitarian way

Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi

"Compelling evidence"

Moslehi first made the allegation that the trio were spies in April when he said Iran had "compelling evidence that three Americans were cooperating with intelligence services."

In March, Tehran public prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said the three faced espionage charges.

But last December, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said they were accused of entering the country illegally.

On Sunday, French teacher Clotilde Reiss, who was arrested on spying charges in July, was sent home from Iran. France has denied it agreed a prisoner exchange deal and said there was no connection to the release on Tuesday of an Iranian jailed in France for killing Iran's last prime minister under the Shah.

The United States has no diplomatic relations with Iran. Swiss diplomats represent U.S. interests there but Washington has said they have been given very little access to the three Americans.

Iran has given no official indication it is preparing to release the trio although the visit itself was seen as a breakthrough.

Tehran has detained several U.S.-Iranians on suspicion of harming national security, including academic Kian Tajbakhsh who was jailed for five years following protests in the wake of last June's disputed presidential election.

Ties between Tehran and Washington have been poisoned for decades, with tensions now focused on the Islamic republic's controversial nuclear program, suspected by Western powers of being cover for a weapons drive.

We have to see how the Americans will react towards the innocent Iranians kidnapped and transferred there

Moslehi