02-06-2011, 06:38 PM
TEHRAN, Iran – Two Americans accused of spying appeared in a closed-door Iranian court session Sunday to begin trial after an 18-month detention that has brought impassioned family appeals, a stunning bail deal to free their companion and backdoor diplomatic outreach by Washington through an Arab ally in the Gulf.
All three -- two in person and one in absentia -- entered not guilty pleas during the five-hour hearing, said their lawyer, Masoud Shafiei.
He added that he was barred by Iranian law from giving any further details of the proceedings. But he noted that the judge decided for at least one more session in Tehran Revolutionary Court, which deals with state security cases including some of the high-profile opposition figures arrested in the violent aftermath of Iran's disputed election in 2009.
He described the jailed Americans -- Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal -- as appearing in good health and said they sat next to him during the trial session.
"I hoped the case would have ended today," Shafiei told The Associated Press. "I now hope they fix the next session for the near future.
The case highlights the power of Iran's judiciary, which is controlled directly by the nation's ruling clerics and has rejected apparent appeals by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to show some leniency.
But Ahmadinejad has also tried to draw attention to Iranians in U.S. jails, raising the possibility the detainees have been viewed as potential bargaining chips with Washington at a time of high-stakes showdowns over Iran's nuclear program.
All three -- two in person and one in absentia -- entered not guilty pleas during the five-hour hearing, said their lawyer, Masoud Shafiei.
He added that he was barred by Iranian law from giving any further details of the proceedings. But he noted that the judge decided for at least one more session in Tehran Revolutionary Court, which deals with state security cases including some of the high-profile opposition figures arrested in the violent aftermath of Iran's disputed election in 2009.
He described the jailed Americans -- Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal -- as appearing in good health and said they sat next to him during the trial session.
"I hoped the case would have ended today," Shafiei told The Associated Press. "I now hope they fix the next session for the near future.
The case highlights the power of Iran's judiciary, which is controlled directly by the nation's ruling clerics and has rejected apparent appeals by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to show some leniency.
But Ahmadinejad has also tried to draw attention to Iranians in U.S. jails, raising the possibility the detainees have been viewed as potential bargaining chips with Washington at a time of high-stakes showdowns over Iran's nuclear program.