Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Vice President Seyed Mohamed Abuturab complained to Iranian TV that the United States is constantly accusing Iran of abusing human rights:

He says the U.S. accuses Iran of human-rights violations at various international forums, but the United States violates human rights in many cases.

University of Birmingham Professor Scott Lucas, who writes about Iran in the popular blog Enduring America, says the hikers have become part of a "wider political game" between the United States and Iran, centering around talks, and international prestige.

Lucas also thinks the case of the hikers has become part of an "internal struggle" in Iran, between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani. He points to the release of hiker Sarah Shourd as a gesture by Mr. Ahmadinejad to the United States, before his September trip to the United Nations.

Former French Ambassador to Tehran Francois Nicoullaud believes the hikers' ordeal is not yet over, and that Iran's judiciary system is being manipulated for political purposes:

"I believe that the judiciary process will probably produce a condemnation," said Francois Nicoullaud. "Knowing the system, I have little faith in the independence of the judicial system. What we can hope for is that this condemnation could be rather light and after that it is likely a period of negotiations will open in order to have the two remaining young Americans expelled from Iran. But, we have to prepare ourselves for not only a few weeks probably, but a few months of difficult times and anguish for the families."