Iran To Release Sarah Shourd

Iran says it is releasing one of three jailed American hikers to mark the end or Ramadan. Iran's envoy to the United Nations has confirmed that Sarah Shourd, the only woman of the trio, will be released this Saturday.

UC Berkeley grads, Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal were hiking near the Iraqi border in July of 2009 when they were arrested and accused of being spies.

Reporters have been told the release of Sarah Shourd, who has been kept in isolation and is said to be suffering from serious medical complications, will take place at the same site where the hikers' mothers were allowed a single reunion last May.

Laura Fattal, Josh's mother, gave KCBS a statement issued by all three mothers.

"We hope and pray that the reports are true, and that this signals the end of all three of our childrens' long and difficult detentions," said Fattal.

"This clearly in my mind shows that these three people are simply pawns in the hands of the regime," said the Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, Abbas Milani. "Their arrest was to make a political point, and now the release of one of them is to make another point, and the issue of guilt or innocence is apparently completely secondary."

The U.S. and Iran have been at odds over Tehran's nuclear program. Milani says the timing comes amid international outcry for the proposed stoning and hanging of an Iranian woman for adultery, and as economic sanctions are hurting the Iranian people.

"The good thing is that the United States did not fall into the regime's trap," said Milani. "If the United States had really made too much of a big deal about this, than the price for these people's lives would have gone much much higher."

The end of Ramadan is traditionally a time for clemency and the release of prisoners. Following the reports, the White House and Senator Diane Feinstein are calling on Iran to release all three hikers.