TEHRAN--Iran will release on Saturday one of three detained American citizens accused of espionage, an official told Reuters on Thursday.
Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal were detained near Iran's border with Iraq at the end of July 2009. Their families say the three were on a mountain hike in northern Iraq at the time. Washington says the spying allegations are unfounded.
"One of the three will be released on Saturday," said the government official who asked not to be named. Journalists have been invited to attend a ceremony on Saturday at the Esteqlal Hotel in Tehran for the release of one of the three.
In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said all three Americans should be freed immediately since they had "committed no crime". He said U.S. officials were in touch with the Swiss government, which represents U.S. interests in Iran, to determine whether the report of a pending release was true.
Iran's Intelligence Minister Haidar Moslehi has said Tehran had proof that the three Americans had links to intelligence services. He also said last month that investigations into spying allegations against the three would be completed soon.
Iran had also said the three Americans would be put on trial, without giving a date. They have not been formally charged.