shane beauer and josh fattal was sentenced to eight years in prison. sergio can ch -- cantana is here. >> this case has stretched on. we're learning this information from the state news agency in iran, not from the judge who oversaw their trial. and second this decision comes several weeks after their trial ended. >> for people who have been following this case word of a possible eight year sentence for shane beauer and josh fattal actually raise more questions than it answer. ken light was shane bauer's photographer professor at uc berkeley. >> it's hard to know, what does it mean and is it really a sentence. i understand it can be appeales. could they be released. >> steven is the chair of middle east of the'm area. >> it's possible this news leak to one media source may have been a way to buy some of the hardliners to encourage this verdict when in fact the verdict may not have officially been made yet. >> the two men were tried in an iranian court this year. accused of spying for the united states. but iranian experts like this professor say their

shane bauer and josh fattal were sentenced to eight years in prison. >> for people who have been following this case, word of a possible eight-year sentence for shaken beauer and josh fattal actually raises more questions than it answer. he was his photography professor. >> it's hard to know, what does it mean and is it really a sentence? i understand it could be appealessed and what happens in an appeal appeal may be time served could they be released. >> steven is the chair of middle east studies at the university of san francisco and says there's presentee of reason to be skeptical about the news they had been sentenced. >> it's possible this news leaked to one media source may have ban way to buy some of the hardliners to encourage this verdict when in fact the verdict may not have four-ly been made yesterday. >> the two 28-year-old men were tried in an iranian court, accused of spying for the united states. but iranian experts like this professor say their sentence has been an issue of contention between factions within iran. the u.s. government has been limited in its ability to intervene in this case because there have been no diplomatic relations w