Sarah Shourd Released From Iranian Prison, Reunited With Mom in Oman

Sept. 14, 2010 -- Sarah Shourd, the American hiker who was released from an Iranian prison today after a 14 month detention is now in Oman in the arms of her mother.

Shourd was smiling as she walked arm and arm with her mother, Nora Shourd, on the tarmac at the Oman airport.

"I am going to make sure that she now gets the care and attention she needs," Nora Shourd said in a statement. "I can only imagine how bittersweet her freedom must be for her, leaving Shane and Josh behind."

Shourd, 32, had been detained since 2009 when she and her two traveling companions, fiance Shane Bauer and friend Josh Fattal, were arrested and accused of espionage. They were picked up after allegedly crossing into Iran from Iraq in July 2009. Fattal and Bauer remain jailed in Iran.

Shourd was granted freedom after discovering a lump in her breast, but not before making a guarantee of $500,000 bail.

Shourd Thanks Ahmadinejad

Before leaving Iran, Shourd singled out President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a statement of gratitude on Iranian TV.

"I want to really offer my thanks to everyone in the world, all of the governments, all of the people that have been involved," said Shourd, 32. "And I especially, particularly want to address President Ahmadinejad, and all of the Iranian officials... and the religious leaders, and thank them for this humanitarian gesture.

"I'm grateful, and I'm very humbled by this moment," she said.

Family of Jailed Hikers Speak Out

The families of all three hikers released a statement saying that they "applaud the Iranian authorities for showing compassion in Sarah's case and again call on them to do the only right thing and release Shane and Josh immediately."

Laura Fattal, the mother of Josh Fattal, said that her only mission is to bring the two remaining hikers home.

"We believe in our hearts they [Iran] will have this compassion to release both kids and we hope as soon as possible."

Shane Fattal's brother said Ahmadinejad should bring the two jailed men with him to the United States on his upcoming trip to New York.

"We profoundly share in the joy of the Shourd family and we want nothing more than to have that for our families as well," Alex Fattal said. "It's really heartbreaking the fact that Josh and Shane are still not home."

Tehran's prosecutor offered little hope for the two jailed hikers, saying they will now be tried for spying. Newsweek reporter Maziar Bahari, who was held in the same prison last year, said Shourd likely left Iran with her own chilling warning.

"They tell you what you should do, what you should say, what you shouldn't say," Bahari said. "The revolutionary guards, they have agents all around the world and they can always harm you."