According to U.S. government sources, American hikers Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer were released today, on bail of $500,000.

Yesterday, 20 Setpember 2011, Massoud Shafiee, lawyer to American hikers Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that his attempts to receive the final signature on the two Americans’ bail orders were fruitless. “This morning (Tuesday), I went to Branch 36 of Tehran Appeals Court, but the second judge whose signature was necessary was not there. I waited for 1.5 hours there, and the Branch Judge told me to leave and that they would contact me as soon as the judge comes. I have not been contacted yet,” said Shafiee.

In his previous talk with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on 17 September, Shafiee told the Campaign that the Appeals Court Judge had informed him that the second judge whose signature on the bail ruling was necessary was on vacation and that he would be back in court on Tuesday.

The two US citizens had been held Evin Prison for the past two years. During a recent interview with Ann Curry of NBC on 12 September, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the two Americans would be released within the next couple of days.