STATEMENTS BY SHANE AND JOSH IN NEW YORK!!
Lawyer Masoud Shafii Still Banned from Traveling Outside Iran
Shane, Josh and Sarah’s Statement Upon Arriving in New York
Sarah Shourd, One of the Three American Hikers Freed from Prison in Iran, Sounds Off
‘Tortured by Solitude’ -- Sarah’s New York Times Op-Ed
→ Iraqi Kurdistan: Learn More About What They Were Doing There ←
“We are deeply disturbed that Mr. Masoud Shafii, the Iranian lawyer who defended us, was briefly detained in Tehran last week and has now been prevented from leaving Iran. Throughout the case, Mr. Shafii always acted in accordance with Iranian law and in the interests of justice, to the extent that he was permitted to represent his clients. We feel very close to Mr. Shafii and consider him part of our families. He has sacrificed a great deal to defend us. This included not being present when his dear sister Shahla passed away, and he was stopped from leaving Iran to visit her grave. We urge the Iranian authorities not to restrict Mr. Shafii’s freedoms and to stop bringing grief to him and his family for no good reason.”
“The Secretary-General welcomes the release from prison in Iran of the two US nationals, Shane Bauer & Joshua Fattal. The Secretary-General appreciates the decision of the Iranian authorities to positively respond to international appeals on humanitarian grounds. He commends all parties who helped to secure their release.”
“I welcome the release of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal from detention in Iran and am very pleased that they are being reunited with their loved ones. The tireless advocacy of their families over these two years has won my admiration, and is now coming to an end with Josh and Shane back in their arms. All Americans join their families and friends in celebrating their long-awaited return home.”
“I join President Obama in welcoming the decision made by Iranian authorities to release Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal from detention. After more than two years, they will finally be reunited with their friends and families.”
“It is a welcome – if long overdue – step that the Iranian authorities have finally seen sense and released Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal.”
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Free Shane And Josh: New Documentary On Detained Hikers Offers More Evidence Of Their Innocence (VIDEO). Go to the Huffington Post to find out about this film. THE HIKERS’ STORY: Iranian forces detained Shane Bauer, his fiancée Sarah Shourd and their close friend Josh Fattal on July 31, 2009 while they were enjoying a recreational hike in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. There are conflicting news reports about whether Iranian forces entered Iraq to arrest the three young Americans or they strayed across the poorly marked border by mistake. Sarah was released on September 14, 2010, on humanitarian grounds after spending 410 days in solitary confinement. All three were charged with illegal entry and espionage. Shane and Josh have never been allowed to meet privately with their lawyer Mr. Masoud Shafii. After many court appearances were arbitrarily cancelled, Josh and Shane were brought before an Iranian court on February 6, 2011 and July 31, 2011 where they defended their innocence. The court sessions were secretive, brought no substantiated evidence against them, and have been criticized as politically motivated. On August 20, 2011 they were found guilty of illegal entry and espionage and sentenced to 8 years in prison. Their lawyer, who continues to be denied access to Shane and Josh, has filed an appeal. Shane, 29, Sarah, 33, and Josh, 29, are innocent of any crime and, as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch report, their extended pre-trial detention is a violation of Iranian and international law. Their detention is arbitrary and inhumane and we call on the Iranian authorities to show Shane and Josh the same compassion they have shown Sarah and release them without further delay. Shane and Josh have been allowed to telephone their families only three times and have not been allowed to send letters home. The mothers of Shane, Sarah and Josh traveled to Iran in May 2010 to visit them but were allowed to stay for only two days. Shane, a freelance journalist, and Sarah had been living in Damascus, Syria, at the time of their trip to Kurdistan. Sarah had been due to return to her job teaching English to Iraqi refugees a few days after their arrest. Josh, an environmental and global health advocate, had been visiting his friends on vacation after working as a Teaching Fellow on an International Honors Program study trip that brought him to India, China and South Africa. Shane, Sarah and Josh are all graduates of the University of California at Berkeley. They care greatly about our world and have a documented record as advocates for social and environmental justice. 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 Iraqi Kurdistan, not because they wanted to enter Iran. Amnesty International: In conversation with Sarah ShourdYusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) Calls for Humanitarian Release of Josh Fattal & Shane BauerALI ASKS IRAN TO FREE US HIKERSJosh’s BirthdayThis is a Free the Hikers film about Josh Fattal, still unjustly detained in Iran along with Shane Bauer. Happy Birthday ShaneIf you would like to show your support for Shane, Sarah and Josh, please join our Facebook Fan Page, follow us on Twitter and use the tag #ssj to spread the word. |
