Advertisement |
For more than 21 months, Shane and Josh have been locked up, isolated from their families and the world and denied any semblance of due process
Families renew call for hikers' release May 09, 2011
We have not had any news about Shane and Josh for many months, and we are terrified that they have now gone on [a] hunger strike to protest against this latest, devastating delay
Hikers' mothers go on hunger strike May 19, 2011
They have done nothing wrong, and they don't deserve to be there a minute longer than I was.
'Friends' sign up for hunger strike Jun 04, 2011
On July 31, 2009, three Americans, Sarah Shourd (32), Shane Bauer (28) and Joshua Fattal (28), were detained by Iranian border guards for alleged espionage while hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iran claims the three crossed into its territory, but the three Americans claim they were kidnapped from within Iraq.
Sarah Shourd was released on $500,000 bail by Iran on September 14, 2010, on humanitarian grounds due to her declining health. The trial of the three hikers began on 6 February 2011; Sarah Shourd will not be returning to Iran to stand trial.
In June 2010, an article in The Nation indicated that two villagers said the hikers were accosted by Iranian authorities while they were on the Iraqi side of the border.