VIDEO FROM EVENTS
DIMENSIONS OF DETAINMENT: Street Theatre at #UN Plaza, San Francisco, CA
May 3rd
Last Friday friends, family and supporters of Shane and Josh did a performance piece at UN Plaza in San Francisco piece to raise awareness about the horrific conditions Shane and Josh continue to be held under.
Supporters used string, paper and their bodies to recreate the exact dimensions of the cell Shane and Josh have been confined to for over 21 months in Evin Prison. In so doing, we made our collective pain and outrage visible and highlighted their deplorable conditions: no family visitation, no phone calls, no pens and paper, no access to their lawyer and no communication with the outside world.
As one of the “corners” of the cell, I found it both poignant and horrific. To put ourselves in their shoes brought us closer to them in spirit but at the same time reminded us how isolated and physically remote from us they are. This action also prompted us to reflect on the suffering and the inhumane conditions under which so many prisoners throughout the world are held. Defense of the innocent and the mistreated is a responsibility we all share.
~ Nora Shourd
Mother of Sarah Shourd, held in solitary confinement for 410 days in Evin Prison, Tehran, Iran
SARAH SHOURD MAKES FIRST PUBLIC STATEMENT ON RETURN TO US
Sep 19th
American hiker Sarah Shourd made the following remarks at a news conference in New York today following her return to the United States. Sarah, 32, was released from detention in Iran after 410 days in solitary confinement on September 14. Her fiancé Shane Bauer and their close friend Josh Fattal, both 28, remain held in Evin Prison, Tehran. To learn more about Sarah, Shane and Josh, please visit freethehikers.org.
REMARKS BY SARAH SHOURD—SEPTEMBER 19, 2010
Welcome everyone and thank you for being here today. I want to begin by again expressing my sincere thanks to the government and religious leaders of Iran. My gratitude goes in particular to Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad for my compassionate release from detention.
It is my deepest hope that the world will not let this humanitarian gesture by the Iranian government and judicial branch go unrecognized. I believe this decision is a step in the right direction for all of us and, above all, for my fiancé Shane and my dear friend Josh.
Shourd said in a press conference in New York that she and her companions "committed no crime"
I will forever be grateful to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman for his untiring commitment to our case and the warmth of his people’s welcome. When I stepped out of the plane into that beautiful country the caress of the sweet, fragrant breeze was a promise—a promise Shane and Josh’s suffering too will end.
I also want to thank the American people and our government, and people and governments all around the world who have advocated for our release and supported our families for more than 13 months. Lastly, I want to extend my gratitude to our lawyer Masoud Shafii for his tireless work on our behalf and to my friend Ambassador Leu of Switzerland for her support and continued engagement.
Getting on the plane in Tehran was one of the most memorable and important moments of my life. But this is not the time to celebrate. My disappointment at not sharing that moment with Shane and Josh was crushing. And I stand before you today only one third free. That was the last thing that Josh said to me before I walked through the prison doors. Josh and Shane felt one third free at that moment and so did I.
The only thing that enabled me to cross the gulf from prison to freedom alone was the knowledge that Shane and Josh wanted with all their hearts for my suffering to end. They showed nothing but joy at my release and that more than anything is testimony to the selflessness and beauty of their spirits.
I had many concerns about my health while I was in prison. Thankfully, doctors in Oman have reassured me that I am physically well. As we say in Arabic, al-Hamdilullah, Praise be to God.
Shane and Josh do not deserve to be in prison one day longer than I was. We committed no crime and we are not spies. We in no way intended any harm to the Iranian government or its people and believe a huge misunderstanding led to our arrest and prolonged detention.
Shane, Josh and I had no knowledge of our proximity to the Iran-Iraq border when we went hiking behind the Ahmed Awa waterfall, a popular tourist site frequented by local families in Iraqi Kurdistan. If we were indeed near the Iraq-Iran border, that border was entirely unmarked and indistinguishable.
Though my friends and I never intended or chose to go to Iran, the tragedy of our imprisonment has forever marked our destinies. I never in my worst nightmare imagined that I would be a prisoner. I never saw it coming, and I never knew that my family would have to suffer like this.
I want to be clear that I do not in any way blame the Iranian people for the pain our families and friends are suffering. I found Iranians to be a diverse, generous people defined by their fervent worship of God and noble Islamic values. Like all of us, they love their families and they want to live in peace.
At the time of our arrest, Shane and I were working in the Middle East and living in Damascus, Syria. Shane is a courageous and talented international journalist and I taught English to Iraqi and Palestinian refugees, as well as Syrian nationals. Josh is an environmental teacher who arrived in Syria as our guest less than a week before our arrest after leading a study abroad program about global heath challenges.
My hope is that by learning who we are and how we came to be in this diverse and fascinating region of the world directly from my lips, it will help clear up any doubts and end Shane and Josh’s detention. I intend to talk about these issues more in the days and weeks ahead because it is time to clear up the misunderstanding that led to our imprisonment.
I also firmly believe that now is the time to make the world a little safer for everyone through peace and dialogue. I believe that our tragedy is an opportunity for Americans and Iranians to realize that an improved relationship would be in the best interest of all people. My hope is that, in our own, small way, Shane, Josh and I as individuals can help begin to build a bridge between our two disparate countries and cultures.
I walked out of prison with my spirit bruised but unbroken and I am more determined than ever that Shane and Josh—God Willing, Inshallah—will soon walk out the same way. My life begins again the day I go to pick them up, the day when all three of us can be reunited with our families with the walls of prison far behind us.
My work is cut out for me and I need all the help I can get. I ask everyone who cares about Shane and Josh’s freedom to please stand behind us and our families so that we can make this final push for their freedom together. I also ask the governments and people of the world to please help in the process of cooperation and bridge-building at this crucial time.
Please help us free Shane and Josh. Please help us create an atmosphere of goodwill in the world. Thank you.
CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION OF SARAH SHOURD’S STATEMENT
VIDEO: THE REAL #USHIKERS—WHO ARE #SSJ? BY @SAFEWORLD4WOMEN
May 16th
“THE REAL HIKERS—WHO ARE SARAH, SHANE & JOSH?”
A film by SAFE WORLD MEDIA, part of A SAFE WORLD FOR WOMEN.
As the release of the three US hikers grows more likely, this film shows the real faces of Sarah, Shane and Josh at work in Darfur, Syria and the USA.
Little has been mentioned, by the international media, about the lives of the “three Hikers” before their incarceration in an Iranian prison, for allegedly crossing the border.
Iran’s early statements that Sarah, Shane and Josh were suspected of espionage, were widely reported. This film gives a glimpse into the real lives and work of these three social activists.
SHANE BAUER, a fluent Arabic-speaker, is a well-respected, published journalist who reported from Darfur, Yemen and Iraq. His insightful commentaries have covered issues not tackled by the mainstream media.
SARAH SHOURD is a women’s rights activist who, earlier in her career, was volunteers coordinator working to help stop the femicides in Mexico.
In the aftermath of the New Orleans Earthquake, Sarah was part of a team of volunteers helping survivors.
She later joined the Iraqi School Project in Syria, where she was teaching refugees.
JOSH FATTAL is a passionate environmentalist who worked at a sustainable living research & education centre in Oregon. He has a deep interest in food issues and had recently taught Global Health to 33 undergraduate university students while travelling with them in Switzerland, India, China and South Africa.
Activist musician, Jackson Browne, supports this film with his anti-war song Drums of War.
This film includes footage provided by APROVECHO—EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING, as well as clips from the following films:
“STRANDED IN SYRIA” by Josh Vardey
“SONGS TO ENEMIES AND DESERTS: A FILM ABOUT REBELLION IN DARFUR” Co-directed by Shane Bauer & David Martinez
250 DAY VIGIL: BROOKLYN, NY—BY SAMI FELD
Apr 23rd
I was lucky enough to travel with Josh Fattal last spring on the International Honors Program to India, China and South Africa, where Josh served as our teaching fellow on a public health-focused study abroad trip. Back in August, when I heard about Josh, Sarah and Shane and their detention, I connected with other friends of SSJ in the New York area who have, like me, been deeply impacted by Josh, Sarah and/or Shane and we have since began organizing to raise awareness here in New York. On April 11th, many of us here from the New York region gathered to mark 250 days that Josh, Sarah and Shane have been in detention. It was a true spring day in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. We gathered pages of signatures from passers by for the petition to urge the Iranian authorities to release Josh, Sarah and Shane, and we shared their story. We lit candles and sent thoughts and blessings of hope and strength, and shared in a delicious picnic. Check out what Scott C and Kristina L have to say about the day in the video below!
While I cannot fathom the fact that is has already been 8 and a half months—and the fear and loneliness and the distress that Josh, Sarah and Shane have been enduring—my sense of hope was renewed on this Sunday afternoon upon meeting and speaking with so many people who demonstrated such compassion for Josh, Sarah and Shane, and have committed themselves to seeing that they return home.
Scott & Kristina Talk About The Hikers
@FREETHEHIKERS VIDEO: @SHONMECK ON “WHY WERE THEY THERE ANYWAY?”
Apr 21st
For any of you who’ve been wondering “what were those hikers doing there, anyway,” this is an excellent video to watch.
Shon Meckfessel, the “Fourth” Hiker, Speaks in Laguna on December 10, 2009:
In this video, Shon Meckfessel, gives an impromptu talk about what happened on that fateful hike, in which his friends were taken into custody by the Iranian authorities. It is prefaced by a brief update on the hikers by Sarah Shourd’s mother, Nora.
 Flyer from Laguna Fundraiser |
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VIDEO: HIKERS STILL DETAINED IN IRAN 255 DAYS LATER
Apr 14th
REPUBLISHED FROM MONTGOMERY MEDIA:
Taken at the Elkins Park Vigil
Monday was the 255th day Elkins Park native Josh Fattal, 27, and his companions Shane Bauer, 27, and Sara Shourd, 31, had spent detained in Iran. Laura Fattal, mother of Josh Fattal, spoke to an audience of friends and family at the Curtis Arboretum Sunday to mark the 254th day her son has been detained.
Fattal mentioned a recent phone conversation with her son, after months without communication, which she said showed evidence that he remains in good health and has even kept his sense of humor. She said her son mentioned a family joke during the conversation proving to her that Josh remains in good spirits.
VIDEO: HIKERS’ MOMS SPEAK AT 250 DAYS HOPE VIGIL IN MN
Apr 12th
In this video, Shane’s mother, Cindy Hickey, and Sarah’s mother, Nora Shourd, are speaking to a crowd of supporters at the 250 Days Hope Vigil, held in Pine City, Minnesota on April 11, 2009.
Mother’s Day is less than a month away and while most moms are preparing for of pampering, brunches, and gifts, Pine City resident Cindy Hickey is fearing the day. Hickey fears that she will not be able to be with or even get a phone call from her son Shane. If Mother’s Day is anything like the past 255 days, Shane Bauer will spend May 9th in an Iranian Prison. He and two other Americans have been detained there since July 31st. Sunday, a vigil was held in Pine City in supporter of Bauer, his mother , friends and family.
—Sam Klemet Reports.
Cindy Hickey & Nora Shourd lead the way at the Pine City 250 Days Hope Vigil
LOVED ONES HOLD MN VIGIL FOR IMPRISONED HIKERS IN IRAN
Apr 12th
The hikers have been imprisoned for over 250 days
MINNEAPOLIS—Half a world away, friends and family members continue to fight for the freedom of three Americans detained in Iran. One of them is from the Minnesota. They’re accused of spying, but for the past 250 days, they have been waiting in an Iranian jail.
Supporters release 250 bio-degradable balloons at Shakopee Hope Vigil
To help the trio get home, the family of Minnesotan Shane Bauer released 250 balloons on Sunday to mark the 250 days he and his two friends have been held in Iran. The number is actually at 254 and Bauer’s whole family is keeping track.
Everyday, friends and family of Bauer, his girlfriend Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal find ways to not lose hope.
Al Bauer is Shane Bauer’s dad, and for 254 days, he’s been searching for ways to help his son and his two friends make their way out of Iran.
The government there has accused them of being spies. The three were captured after the hikers’ families say they unknowingly crossed into the country from Iraq.
Until then, the Bauer’s and their close friends will continue to lean on each other for help getting through the bad days. They are also sharing the hikers’ story on freethehikers.org . It is a website where people can track the latest developments and leave encouraging messages for the family.
Several of these vigils were held Sunday across the country, including the hometowns of the other two hikers.
VIDEO: PLEASE FREE THE HIKERS
Mar 25th
INTERNATIONAL CALL TO FREE THE HIKERS
People all over the world have uploaded videos asking for the release. We collected some of those responses to make this video, in the hope that Iran will allow them to return home soon. Please share this with your friends and loved ones.
FUNDRAISER FOR JAILED HIKERS
Feb 27th
For almost seven months, three U.S. hikers have been detained in Iran. The wait is excruciating for their families. One of the hikers is from Minnesota, and friends and community members are rallying around his family.
A fundraiser at the American Legion in Le Center is part of the community’s fight to free the U.S. hikers. Bauer and the two other hikers have been held captive in Iran for 210 days. Bauer’s mother Cindy Hickey said, “No one’s been able to set eyes on Shane, Josh, or Sarah for over three months, so that’s concerning for us.” Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Josh Fattal were detained on July 31, after apparently hiking into Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan. The Iranian Government accused the hikers of spying. Their families said it’s all a mistake. Shourd was working as an English teacher. Bauer was working as a freelance journalist. Fattal was in the area, visiting his two friends.
The “fundraiser fish dinner” at the American Legion is helping the families raise money for trips to the Middle East. Iran’s top human right’s official has recommended that they be allowed to visit the hikers in jail. The families are awaiting word to see if they’ll be granted visas to enter Iran.
Sarah Shourd’s mother flew in from California for the fundraiser, and believes the support is crucial. Shourd said, “It makes us feel really good, it keeps us going.” Friends say they’ll continue to support the hikers’ families until they’re freed.
