Iran has granted early release to three Jewish men convicted two years ago of spying for Israel. The men were part of an original group of 13 Jews whose arrest in 1999 and subsequent closed-door trial provoked widespread condemnation by Western governments and Jewish organisations. Ten Jews and two Muslims were eventually sentenced to prison terms of up to 13 years for taking part in a spy ring based in the southern city of Shiraz. Two of the Jewish men have already served their sentences and been released. Javid Beit-Yakov, Farzad Kashi and Shahrokh Paknahad were released on Thursday, between three and five years before they had completed their jail terms. "They were told that they were released for a long holiday after serving about three years in prison," said a Jewish source who asked not to be named.
What the hell? Wonder if the ayatollahs signed off on that? There have been rumors of Iran attempting to smooth relations with the U.S. and Israel, all of them quickly denied by the Iranians. |