An Iranian court has set bail at $500,000 each for a Minnesota man and his friend. A third member of their group, Sarah Shourd, was freed last year on the same bail.

Minnesota-native Shane Bauer, fiance Sarah Shourd and friend Josh Fattal held an open house in Shakopee to thank everyone in the community who supported them during their 780 days behind bars in an Iranian prison on espionage charges.

A deal to pay $1 million bail for the release of Minnesota native Shane Bauer and his friend Josh Fattal hit a snag because a judge whose signature was needed was away on vacation. The deal is expected to move forward when the judge returns Tuesday. Bauer and Fattal have been held for more than two years on spying charges.

NewsCore reports Masoud Shafii has been barred from leaving the country. His passport was confiscated as he was trying to board a plane for the United States.

Minnesota-native Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal traveled to Capitol Hil to meet with Sens. Al Franken and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania to express their gratitude. Franken was a vocal advocate for the hikers since their arrest in 2009.

A delegation of Christian and Muslim leaders from the United States met with the Iranian president and other top officials over the weekend. The delegation says Iran hopes that, in exchange, the United States will consider freeing Iranians now imprisoned here.

The Associated Press quotes an anonymous Iraqi official who says a delegation is there to negotiate a $1 million bail to free the Americans.

Bauer and Fattal say they were held in isolation. Phone calls with family members amounted to a total of 15 minutes in two years and they had to go on repeated hunger strikes to receive letters.