The families and friends of Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, the three Americans currently detained in Iran have just launched a website: www.freethehikers.org.
Please help in spreading the word about this site and the situation of Sarah, Shane and Josh. Their families and friends want them all home safe and soon!
Along with notifying others about the site, you can join the Facebook group and if you are on Twitter, please use the hash tage #ssj.
Here's some more info on Sarah, Shane and Josh from the website:
Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd have been detained in Iran since July 31, 2009, when they accidentally crossed an unmarked border during a hiking trip in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. They were in a peaceful region of Iraq that is increasingly popular with Western tourists.
The three young Americans, all graduates of the University of California at Berkeley, are believed to be held in the Iranian capital, Tehran. They have not been charged with any crime, have had no contact with their families, and have not been granted their right to consular access.
Shane, Josh and Sarah care greatly about the world. They admire and respect different cultures and religions and share a love of travel that has taken them to many countries. That’s why they went to Kurdistan, not because they wanted to enter Iran.
The families and friends of the three hikers created this site to tell the story of Shane, Josh and Sarah and keep the world informed about their situation.
We hope the Iranian authorities understand that there’s just one reason why our children and friends happened to be in Iran: because they made a regrettable mistake and got lost. Please let them return home as soon as possible.
Gotta say this. First, I feel very badly for he FAMILIES of these people. Second, the hikers were warned numerous times by people around them along the way - DON'T HIKE THERE. Why did they continue? The only thing I can think of is reckless abandon. I don't think that we should spend political capital on people when it would be better spent on other people who end up in a bad situation by no foolish doings of their own.
Posted by: Bob from Reston | August 20, 2009 at 03:26 PM
Where did you get the information that they were told "numerous times" not to hike there? I haven't heard that at all. And knowing them, they don't act with reckless abandon, they are serious, responsible people.
Posted by: scott | August 20, 2009 at 04:47 PM
They were asking for it. They got what they asked for. When they finally do return to the states they will write books and make lots of money. I have as much pity for them as our border guards and Minuteman Civil Defense Corps have on those who cross our borders. Hell I bet they got rich enough families and friends to convince Clinton to make a visit to bail their lame asses out anyway.
Posted by: andrew | September 08, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Oh, also they didn't need to be told "numerous times" not to hike there. They knew they were in a country that we invaded without provocation and they knew they were on or near the border of a country that is strict anti-US (and that the US is also against) during a time of escalating confrontation.
hahah and they just went trolloping through both countries like they were at Tilden Park.
Idiots!!!!!!!....I mean really stupid....
Darwin would have a lot to say about this type of behavior.
Posted by: andrew | September 08, 2009 at 11:28 AM
It is my understanding that they had a Guide leading them, and the Guide led them to the location they were apprehended.
Regardless, they didn't do anything wrong, were not "spying" for any government.
jwil
Posted by: j wilcox | September 17, 2009 at 08:37 AM
I do hope for their speedy and safe return but why were these serious responsible people acting in such an irresponsible way?
Posted by: Nina Hicks | September 17, 2009 at 09:23 AM
I like hiking
Posted by: freddy fingers | September 17, 2009 at 09:49 AM
who the fuck hikes thought a war zone??
Posted by: bob | September 29, 2009 at 07:24 AM
THEY NEED TO FREE THE HIKERS. SO THEY CAN COME HOME TO THERE FAMILIES SO FREE THEM.
Posted by: ELIZABETH NASH | September 29, 2009 at 08:28 AM
I don't care what their reasons were for being in Kurdistan. What we have is a case of three naive, reckless adults who thought they were in a safe region of Iraq, which by the way happens to be extremely safe in comparison to the rest of Iraq -- might as well be an entirely different country. I've been to the worst places in Iraq and know how people in that country operate and think. What these kids fell prey to is the common mistake made by a lot Westerners operating in Iraq, and that is "these are my friends" and they had a false sense of security. You see smiles and hear kind words and you start to think that the locals you've met like you and would do you no harm. The reality often times is the locals will turn on you in a heartbeat and often do it with a smile. I'm going out on a limb -- what probably happened to these three is whoever took them to the border to go hiking set them up. Iranian intelligence is well entrenched in Iraq. I wouldn't be surprised if Iranians knew about these kids before they even set out to go hiking the day they were captured, and that their capture was planned and coordinated with the locals who took them on their hike. How come there isn't anything about their tour guide being detained? Their tour guide probably receive cash for taking them to a predetermined location near the border where they could be nabbed. The Iranians saw a great opportunity to gain some Americans to use as negotiating leverage, not to mention to embarrass us.
I feel sorry for the families. I don't feel sorry for the three hikers. The three should feel sorry that they were idiots and are putting their friends and family through hell because they decided to go traipsing along the Iranian border; really, how naive or dumb can you be? Next time take a map and a Garmin.
Posted by: Brian | October 04, 2009 at 01:09 PM
it shows Iran is a non forgiving place and they like making bombs- how can we soften power hungry hearts?
Posted by: jami | October 18, 2009 at 01:05 AM
Brian and Andrew are incredibly racist. They have no sympathy for three people of color who were simply hiking through the mountains and accidentally wandered into a foreign country.
Typical white "liberals". Racist to the bone and even more brazen about it then their conservative brethren.
Posted by: Malik | October 27, 2009 at 12:18 AM
This is beyond reason. I mean it.
I have been in Iraq in uniform.
These three are either working for the government or against it.
Period. And if you don't think so go back to your crack pipe.
Posted by: MsP | October 27, 2009 at 05:54 PM
I, too, feel sorry for the families of these 3. The families are the innocent victims in this soap opera.
Really, what American goes hiking through one of the most unstable/ American hating parts of the world 'for fun' ?
And now we're supposed to feel sorry for them because they were just three friends on vacation. Whatever.
Posted by: Johnny 5 | October 27, 2009 at 07:21 PM
For what it's worth, I feel compelled to respond to some comments here.
Malik, I can't tell if you're being sarcastic, but Sarah and Shane are white.
MsP and Johnny 5, they were hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is a pro-American, semi-autonomous region. It is a peaceful increasingly popular with international tourists. In fact the BBC just did a special on it as a tourist destination.
My friends are good, honest, innocent people who simply enjoy traveling and seeing different parts of the world.
People should read up on the situation before making uninformed comments about it: http://www.freethehikers.org.
Posted by: scott | October 27, 2009 at 07:37 PM
Considering the state of the world today, the 3 hikers were foolish to enter into the area/country. There has to be a safer place to hike!!! I sympathize with the families but I have no sympathy for the hikers........sorry. I didn't get to my age (61) by wreckless actions......
Posted by: chbanditud | November 09, 2009 at 02:46 PM
Wow some of you all are either total pricks or just enjoy hating on others. Its true that this region of Iraq is basically secluded from the rest of the country otherwise i don't think it would be possible that its growing as a tourist destination. Regardless if they were American nobody goes on vacation to a war zone so you can throw reckless abandonment out the window. The only mistake i see they could have made was in trusting the tour guide (which cant necessarily be considered a mistake, he's a tour guide) and hiking in an area so close to the border of the apparently insane Iranian's. I can only hope that the majority of citizens of that country aren't as messed up as their current leader which is probably what alot of countries thought about us not to long ago. Nonetheless, these young men and women posed absolutely no threat and should have been released shortly after being detained. This simply shows how ingnorant Iran's current government is and that they can not be treated as a normal industrialized country.
Posted by: Mel | November 09, 2009 at 03:26 PM
these three hikers are older than many of our soldiers who are being killed or wounded-if they had such an urge for adventure, why didn't they join the services? why do we have to use political capital to, once again, save their hides.
It is an incredible sense of entitlement that seems to repeat itself.
Posted by: S M Slager | November 09, 2009 at 05:10 PM