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TWO WEEKS, THEY COULD BE HERE
FOR A LONG TIME.
JENNA?
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
HERE TO GIVE US INSIGHT ON THE
IRANIAN LEGAL SYSTEM AND WHATLE
LEGAL ANALYST.
EXPLAIN THIS.
THE IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ
AND THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
WERE QUOTED AS SAYING THEY FULLY
EXPECT THESE MEN TO BE FREE.
NOW SATURDAY COMES AND THEY'RE
SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN
PRISON.
WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
>> LITTLE BIT OF A BREAKDOWN
THERE.
WE WENT FROM ALL OF THE TOP
OFFICIALS SAYING, HEY, LOOKS
LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO BE FREED.
AND THEN WE GET THIS EIGHT-YEAR
SENTENCE.
IT'S A LITTLE TOO SOON TO PANIC.
WE KNOW IN THESE CASES AND
IRANIAN AMERICAN IN 2009 WAS LET
GO.
SHE WAS A FREELANCE JOURNALIST
AND SHE WAS THERE FOR A SENTENCE
EIGHT YEARS ON THE SAME THING.
AND SHE WAS LET GO DURING THE
APPEALS PROCESS.
WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO THE
APPEALS PROCESS YET.
BUT THE DISTURBING PART IS THERE
WAS A TRIAL.
AMERICA DOES NOT HAVE A
CONSULATE.
WE HAVE TO RELY ON THE SWISS TO
BE OUR PROTECTORS IN THOSE AND,
OF COURSE, OUR MINISTER, THE
SWISS MINISTER WENT OVER THERE,
WENT OVER TO THE TRIAL AND SHE
WAS NOT LET INTO THE COURT.
AND THE ATTORNEY FOR THE
DEFENDANT WAS NOT ALLOWED TO
TALK TO THEM.
HE WAS HOPEFUL THAT PRIOR TO THE
TRIAL HE WOULD GET AN HOUR OR
TWO TO SPEAK TO THEM.
THAT WAS A HUGE RED FLAG.
>> THAT MUST HAVE HURT THEIR
CASE ALSO WHETHER YOU DON'T HAVE
ANY COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR
ATTORNEY THE WHOLE TIME WHEN
YOU'RE IN PRISON.
>> OF COURSE, AMERICANS THINK
THE FIX IS IN.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE
FAMILIES TO SPEAK OUT BECAUSE
NOBODY WANTS TO BE
DISRESPECTFUL.
WHEN SOMEBODY IS HOLDING
LITERALLY A GUN TO YOUR
CHILDREN'S HEAD, YOU KNOW, YOU
WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL.
YOU WANT TO WALK ON EGGSHELLS
AND HOPE THAT MAYBE THEY WILL
LET THEM FREE AND THAT THEY'RE
NOT GOING TO BE USED AS A
POLITICAL CHIP.
>> WITHOUT THAT COMMUNICATION
WITH THEIR ATTORNEY, IS A LOT OF
THIS HE SAID-HE SAID AS FAR ATZ
EVIDENCE AGAINST THESE TWO YOUNG
MEN?
>> THE ATTORNEY REVIEWED THE
CASE AND SAID THERE WAS NO
EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER OF ANY
CRIMINAL ACTS.
HOWEVER, WE DON'T KNOW, YOU
KNOW, WHAT WAS PUT ON THE
RECORD, WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT
THE SPYING EVIDENCE IS.
SO ARE THEY BEING -- OF COURSE
THE FAMILIES ARE SAYING MOST
EXPERTS ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS
REALLY JUST THEM BEING USED AS A
POLITICAL CHIP AND, THEREFORE,
THEY'RE GOING TO BE USED NUCLEAR
ARMS AND AS SOME TYPE OF
BARGAINING CHIP FOR TALKS AND
IRAQI SOLDIERS AND IRAN SOLDIERS
AND THE TREATMENT OF THE
SOLDIERS.
SO THIS IS JUST A WHOLE
POLITICAL AGENDA AT THIS POINT.
>> LOTS TO COME IN THE COMING
DAYS.
LESTER?