Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has promised to release the US citizens suspected of espionage and illegal border crossing, NBC News reports.
Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were detained by Iranian border guards at the Marivan border post for lack of visas on July 31, 2009. Tehran accused the citizens of espionage and illegal border crossing.
The first legal process was a closed one in Tehran on February 6, 2010. The US citizens did not admit guilt.
Sarah Shourd was released in September 2010 on bail of $500,000. She said she would never return to Iran.
The US demanded Iran to release the citizens in early August 2009, saying that they were tourists in Iraq and entered the Iranian territory by mistake. Their relatives deny espionage activities.
