NEW YORK — An American woman who was held in Iran for more than 13 months says she and two men detained with her never spied or committed any crime. Sarah Shourd says they believe their arrest was based on “a huge misunderstanding.”
Shourd spoke at a news conference in New York on Sunday after flying back to the U.S. She was freed Tuesday.
She, her fiance and another man were detained in July 2009 along the Iran-Iraq border. Iran has accused them of espionage.
The 32-year-old Shourd said in prepared remarks that the three were hiking in a popular tourist area in Iraq and didn’t know they were near the border.
Shourd says she’s grateful for her release. But she says she feels only “one-third free” because her fiance, Shane Bauer, and their friend Josh Fattal are still being held.