American Hikers Sarah Shourd,Josh Fattal,Shane Bauer

Three American hikers, Sarah, Josh and Shane were hiking in the hills of Kurdistan, in a peaceful region of Iraq and today they are been detained in Iran (they have been held since July 31, 2009). Question I often ask myself is that when the news reports said they accidentally crossed an unmarked border during this hiking trip in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan were they set up to be taken as pawns by the Iranian government. The lines of the border between Kurdistan and Iran in this area are so remote that I am not sure that there is anyone on this border that are carefully guarding it!!! They were in a peaceful region of Iraq that is increasingly popular with Western tourists so why are these three innocent kids sitting in Evin Prison now and the word is that Iran accusses them of being spies. How convenient for Iran that they have no diplomatic relationship with the US.

These three Americans are all graduates of the University of California at Berkeley. As I write this today May 15, 2010 they have been held for 288 days. And all I do is ask why? And wonder why more Americans are not outraged at this.  

To quote the freethehikers a web site set up by the parents of Shane, Josh and Sarah say that  they care greatly about the world in which we live. They admire and respect different cultures and religions and share a love of travel that has taken them to many countries. That is why they went to Kurdistan, not because they wanted to enter Iran.

We hope the Iranian authorities understand that if Shane, Sarah and Josh were in Iranian territory there is just one reason: because they made a regrettable mistake and got lost. Please let them return home as soon as possible."