AUGUST 2009
NEWS VIDEOS FROM AUGUST 2009
MOM SHARES FEELINGS ON HER SON BEING HELD IN IRAN
Aug 31st
THE FOLLOWING STORY WAS REPUBLISHED FROM WCCO.COM:
It’s been exactly a month since three American hikers in Iraq were detained after allegedly crossing into Iran.
Freelance photographer Shane Bauer is from Minnesota. He, along with Joshua Fattal and Sarah Shourd, have been held in Iran since July 31.
Bauer’s mother says she worries about her son’s safety.
Cindy Hickey: Mother of Shane Bauer, US Hiker Detained in Iran
“I haven’t heard from him so the not knowing is the biggest piece for me. There’s fear in the unknown,” said Bauer’s mother Cindy Hickey.
The last time Hickey spoke to her son was a week before he and his close friends left for a hiking trip in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
“He made sure that he let us know that it was very safe. So I in no way was concerned about Shane,” she said.
Then, last month, the Bagdad Embassy called to say her freelance journalist son was being held in Iran.
“My heart dropped. I had to sit and process it because even though I heard it I had sit down and think about what was going on and, of course, what’s next, what are we going to do?” said Hickey.
She is in constant contact with the State Department which still has few details.
“Could there have been an accidental border crossing? We don’t know,” she said.
Hickey has this message for those holding her son and his friends.
“Hopefully they’ll look at these three and understand that possibly there was a mistake made,” said Hickey.
And to her son…
“We love him, we love all three of them and we’re really hopeful that they’ll be back soon,” she said.
The three are accused of ignoring the border patrol and possibly spying. The Iranian government hasn’t disclosed the charges against the Americans or let anyone visit them.
For more information on the struggle to get them home, visit FreeTheHikers.org.
Related Stories by WCCO:
- Kin Speak Out On Hikers Missing In Iran
(8/20/2009)
- Families: American Hikers Entered Iran By Mistake
(8/11/2009)
- Iran: 3 Americans Were Arrested For Illegal Entry
(8/4/2009)
- Americans Arrested In Iran Could Face Spy Charges
(8/4/2009)
- Family Hopes For Safe Return Of Captured Son
(8/3/2009)
- 3 Hikers, Including Minnesotan, Captured In Iran
(8/3/2009)
- Friend: Americans Missing In Iran Were Hiking
(8/3/2009)
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FAMILY DRAWS ATTENTION TO UC HIKERS IN IRAN
Aug 31st
(Report by ABC7 San Francisco News)
BERKELEY, CA (KGO) — In Iran, three Americans remain in jail for walking in the wrong place at the wrong time. Each one had attended UC Berkeley and had been on vacation in Kurdistan. Their families have been trying to get them released without making the situation more political than it already is.
(Story By Wayne Freedman, republished from ABC7 San Francisco News)
Of all the people with all their causes at UC Berkeley, some are more personal than others.
“I’m sorry to trouble you. My brother is one of three people detained in Iran,” said Alex Fattal to some fellow students.
Hence, the quiet determination by Alex Fattal and Nora Shourd. Nora’s daughter, Sarah, Alex’s brother, Josh, and another Berkeley grad, Shane Bauer, went hiking in Northeastern Iraq with two other Berkeley grads last month. They wandered across an unmarked border of Iran and are now in prison.
“Our kids are innocent. They made a mistake. We want them home,” said Nora.
The arrests happened one month ago. The families found out at 1:33 exactly. They questioned if they should go public, stay private, and what the ramifications might be.
“They are definitely on their own. This government cannot help them,” said Robert Baer.
Baer is a former CIA operative now working on his fifth book about the Middle East and Iran. This situation poses problems, he says, because the United States and Iran do not have diplomatic relations. Baer says the issue of three young Americans pales when compared with Iran’s nuclear program, or its political stance towards Israel.
“They are not worth a compromise with Iran, but on the other hand, they do not deserve what is going to happen to them. They could be there for years. They could be tried as spies. They could be convicted,” said Baer.
So for families, back home, spreading the awareness is all they can do for now; they’ve talked to the state department, put up a website, posted a Facebook page and prayed for a break at the one month mark and counting.
“Each day feels like it could be a month. And a month feels like two and a half years,” said Alex.
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MOTHERS OF HIKERS APPEAR ON THE TODAY SHOW
Aug 22nd
MOTHERS OF HIKERS APPEAR ON THE TODAY SHOW
Mothers talk to Matt Lauer:
The mothers of three American hikers who were captured after crossing the border into Iran last month talk with TODAY’s Matt Lauer in a TODAY exclusive.
See full story at NBC: Mothers: Captured Hikers Aren’t Spies.
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MOTHERS OF HIKERS ON CNN
Aug 22nd
MOTHERS OF HIKERS ON CNN WITH ANDERSON COOPER
Mothers talk to CNN’s Anderson Cooper:
Mothers of three American Hikers talk about their children, who are still being held in Iran. They have one simple plea: “Let our children go.”
See full story at CNN: Missing American Hikers: Mothers Plead for Safety of Their Children, Being Held in Iran
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FAMILIES HOPE FOR HIKERS' RELEASE
Aug 22nd
DETAINED US HIKERS: FAMILIES HOPE FOR RELEASE
Two Men, One Woman: Accused of Illegally Crossing Iranian Border:
Story by Good Morning America includes interview with family members of the three Americans held in Iran. Families say they were harmless and careful travelers who made an unfortunate mistake.
See full story at abcNEWS: Missing Hikers: Families Plead for Safety of Americans Held in Iran
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SIBLINGS: "HIKERS ARE HARMLESS"
Aug 21st
SIBLINGS SAY US HIKERS ARE HARMLESS TRAVELERS
Three American hikers detained in Iran are “totally harmless” travelers who carefully planned a trip in Iraq but apparently accidentally ended up crossing the border, their relatives said Thursday. (Aug. 20)
NAM EXECUTIVE EDITOR ON SHANE BAUER
Aug 13th
Shane Bauer, a freelance writer with a passion for travel, planned to spend a week covering the Kurdish elections in Iraq when he checked with his employer last week. Bauer and two others were detained by Iranian authorities.
Interview with the Executive Director of New America Media, for whom Shane has freelanced in the past.
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THREE US HIKERS ARRESTED AT IRAN BORDER
Aug 3rd
THREE US HIKERS ARRESTED AT IRAN BORDER
Three American hikers are arrested in Iran after they crossed the border from the Kurdistan region in Iraq. NBC’s Richard Engel reports on the latest details from Istanbul, Turkey. (Today Show)
AMERICAN HIKERS HELD IN IRAN
Aug 3rd
The State Department is working with the Swiss Embassy in Tehran to learn more about the three American hikers who are being held in Iran after wandering across the country’s shared border with Iraq. The New York Times’ Roger Cohen discusses the latest developments.
