Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has defended Iran’s decision to put three young American hikers on trial after they accidentally crossed the Iran-Iraq border. The Americans, Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Joshua Fattal, have been detained since July. In September, Ahmadinejad said he would ask Iran’s judiciary “to look at the case with maximum leniency.” But in a new interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News Ahmadinejad was less reassuring when Sawyer asked him if he is still going to do his best to set the hikers free.

Ahmadinejad: “Yes, but I’ve got a question to you. How do you know they have accidentally crossed into Iran? How do you know they were looking for waterfalls and forests?”

Sawyer: “Do you have evidence that it was not accidental? Young people on a hike on a vacation?”

Ahmadinejad: “Who has told you this? Are you a judge? Permit me” —

Sawyer: “By all examination” —

Ahmadinejad: “Have the intelligence agents told you that?”

Sawyer: “They will go on trial?”

Ahmadinejad: “I’m not the judge to judge about it.”