Two US hikers convicted of espionage and illegal entry were to be released from a Tehran jail Wednesday into the care of the Swiss embassy as soon as their bail was paid by Oman, their lawyer and the judiciary said. “Following the request of their lawyer, their detention order was converted to bail of five billion rials ($400,000) and they will be released until the final verdict,” the judiciary statement carried by Iranian media said. The lawyer for the hikers, Masoud Shafii, said earlier he would post bail later Wednesday and expected Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, both 29, to be handed to the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which handles US interests. “Inshallah (God willing) it is over… the judge has signed the order,” Shafii told AFP. “Yes, the money for the bail was provided by Oman,” Shafii added. Oman is a US Gulf ally which has friendly relations with Iran.
