Tehran - Iranian authorities postponed the trial of espionage long-awaited three Americans on Wednesday, said their lawyer. Two of the accused, still imprisoned in Tehran, was not included in the Court as scheduled and the authorities gave no explanation.
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were held since July 2009 after having placed in detention at the Iran-Iraq border. A third American who was taken with them, Sarah Shourd, was released in September on bail of $500 000 and returns to the United States. It is considered in absentia.
Bauer and Fattal, who are both 28, still in prison. The three say that they were hiking in the Kurdish region in the North of the Iraq and any passage in Iran was involuntary.
Their Iranian Attorney, Masoud Shafiei, said Associated Press that Bauer and Fattal were not brought into court Wednesday as had been planned. Iranian responsible said Shafiei gave no immediate explanation.
The trial opened on 6 February and was to continue Wednesday.
Initially, Tehran has accused the three Americans only to cross illegally into Iran but later added espionage. Authorities gave few details in support of these accusations.
Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi said without details, that the Americans had "equipment and materials and training."
Shafiei says that his clients deny the allegations and maintain that any Iran crossing was involuntary. Shourd, 32, in Oakland, California, ordered for trial by Iranian officials in Tehran, but said that it returns.
Shafiei expressed concern about the health of its customers and the failure of the Court to hold proceedings Wednesday.
"My clients are in custody of the representatives of the judiciary, but they were not brought in the Court," he told the AP. "the trial date was fixed long ago." There is no reason for the adjournment. ?
The lawyer said that he was not authorized to see Bauer and Fattal since the date of February of the opening of the trial.
"I have demanded to be allowed to meet my clients several times," he said, adding that while his request for a meeting has never officially refused, the authorities "never let happen."
Espionage charges could bring a maximum sentence of 10 years.
The families of Bauer and Fattal said Wednesday that they are even "more deeply concerned for their health and well-being because of their non-appearance" in the Court.
Families was also saying that they were troubled that Shafiei continues to be denied access to its customers, has reaffirmed that the charges against the two were unfounded and urges asked the Iran for liberate them immediately.
"Development of today appears to be yet another example of the arbitrary treatment Shane and Josh were subjected to more than 21 months", said the statement. "The Iranian authorities continue to play games with their life and the constant uncertainty and fear for Shane and Josh is ruining our lives as well."
The Government of the United States denied the charges against them and demanded their release. Their long detention said tensions between the two nations on issues such as the Iran disputed nuclear program.
The three Americans are graduates of the University of California at Berkeley.
Shourd and Bauer, who are now engaged, had been living together in Damascus, where Bauer worked as a freelance journalist Shourd as Professor of English. Fattal, an environmental activist, went to visit them in July 2009, shortly before their trip to the Iraq.
Bauer is a native of Onamia, Minnesota, and Fattal grew up in Pennsylvania.
