Leu : Iran never showed any proof against hikers

Switzerland’s ambassador to Iran says she was never shown evidence to back up Iranian convictions of two American men for spying, despite acting as their consular representative in the country. Iranian authorities permitted her four consular visits with Joshua Fattal and Shane Bauer during their two-year detention. “Each visit lasted about 45 minutes and Iranian officials were always present,” the Swiss envoy, Livia Leu, said. After pressure from her embassy, the two men were able to move into the same cell, something that helped stave off what Leu described as the most difficult part of their incarceration: loneliness. They were also allowed eventually to meet fellow American Sarah Shourd, who had been arrested with them along the Iran-Iraq border in July 2009. Shourd was released on health grounds a year ago before facing trial. Other requests were denied by the Iranians. “We tried very hard to be admitted to the trial, but we were not,” Leu said in an interview conducted by telephone and email. “We never saw any of the evidence, nor any of the actual court proceedings,” she said. Leu said the arrest of Fattal, Bauer and Shourd came at an unfortunate time, just as Iranian authorities were confronted with street protests over the disputed 2009 presidential elections. Iran accused the Americans of illegally entering the country and of spying, something the trio have disputed. They say they might have accidentally wandered across the unmarked frontier but strongly deny espionage. After being freed last week on a $1 million bail and leaving the country, Fattal and Bayer claimed they were detained solely because of their nationality.