Jailed US hikers celebrate first day of freedom
Two American hikers jailed in Iran as spies two years ago were today enjoying their first day of freedom.
They ran down the steps of a private jet and into the arms of their families in the Gulf state of Oman, which brokered the $1 million bail deal.
The relatives of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, both 29, called it "the best day of our lives". A statement said: "We have waited for nearly 26 months for this moment and the joy and relief we feel at Shane and Josh's long-awaited freedom knows no bounds.
"We now all want nothing more than to wrap Shane and Josh in our arms, catch up on two lost years and make a new beginning, for them and for all of us."
President Barack Obama called it "wonderful, wonderful news, we are thrilled ... it's a wonderful day for them and for us."
"We're so happy we are free," Mr Fattal told reporters in Oman. "Two years in prison is too long," said Mr Bauer.
The men were jailed for eight years for espionage and illegal entry into Iran. They said they were merely hikers in Iraq's relatively peaceful Kurdistan region who wandered too close to Iran's border.
Mr Bauer's girlfriend, Sarah Shourd, was freed a year ago in a deal also brokered by Oman. Today, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was preparing to address the United Nations' annual gathering of world leaders in New York.
