The Iranian government say it’s preparing to try the two jailed Americans Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal early next month. Bauer and Fattal were arrested in July 2009 after hiking near the Iran-Iraq border. A third hiker, Sarah Shourd, was freed last month. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton renewed calls for the pair’s release.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “We continue to express our hope that the Iranian authorities will exercise the humanitarian option of releasing these two young men. We do not believe there is any basis whatsoever for them to be put on trial, and we regret that they and their families are being subjected to a criminal system that we do not think in any way reflects their actions.”