Iran has dashed American hopes it would free two U.S. tourists and instead sentenced them to eight years in jail for allegedly spying. Lawyers for the tourists said they will appeal.
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were arrested by Iran more than two years ago and accused of spying after they said they unintentionally wandered across the unmarked border from Iraq.
"In connection with illegal entry into Iranian territory, each was given three years in jail and in connection with the charge of cooperating with American intelligence service, each was given five years in jail," according to the official Irnaian IRNN websirte.
It was not clear if the jail sentence will take into consideration the two years of imprisonment of Bauer and Fattal, both age 29.
"We have repeatedly called for the release of Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal, who have now been held in Iran's Evin prison for two years," U.S. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said. "Shane and Josh have been imprisoned too long, and it is time to reunite them with their families."
They will appeal their sentence.
A third hiker, Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, also was arrested but was released last September on $500,000 bail on what Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said were humanitarian grounds because of matters of health. She did not return for her trial.
The tourists were hiking in the relatively peaceful Kurdistan area in northern Iraq. Their lawyer said authorities have not provided any evidence the young trio was carrying out espionage activities.