Lawyer hopeful in case of 3 Americans held in Iran

[May 19, 2010]  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A lawyer representing three Americans jailed in Iran for nearly nine months says he is hopeful a U.S. push for new sanctions against the country will not hurt their case.

The three were arrested along the Iraqi border, and Iran has accused them of spying. Their relatives reject the accusation and say they were hiking in Iraq's scenic north.

Their mothers arrived in Dubai Wednesday on their way to the Iranian capital to visit them in jail and try to secure their release.

Lawyer Masoud Shafii says the mothers are seeking meetings with officials involved in the case and with the president and supreme leader.

He says the investigation is ongoing but that "anything is possible" in terms of winning their release.

[Associated Press]

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