CNN has a report on the situation of two American hikers kidnapped by Iran, who are being held on false charges of crossing the Iranian border (they were on the side of Iraqi Kurdistan).
The Iranian judiciary has postponed the trial until February 18, 2011. Sarah Shourd, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer were kidnapped by Iranian security forces who raided over into Iraq to grab the three on July 31, 2009. (Shourd was released in September on bail).
Presumably they were seized by Iran as a way of taking revenge on the US military, which has made a number of raids on US allies such as the Kurds in Irbil or the al-Hakim compound in Baghdad in which they kidnapped Iranian guests of these Iraqi politicans. The US charged that the Iranians thus grabbed were intelligence agents.
It isn’t fair that these innocent young people be made scapegoats for US-Iranian tensions. Hostage-taking is a serious abuse of human rights. This was the second Thanksgiving that Josh and Shane spent away from their families.
The CNN report:
It should not be thought that the Iranian authorities are completely beyond caring about world public opinion, and it is worthwhile writing them to ask for freedom for Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer. Iranians have indicated in opinion polls that they want to hear more from Americans, but they can hardly expect us to visit in any numbers if they are going to go all paranoid and arrest ordinary people for hiking near their border.
Here is the contact information provided by Amnesty International (it is important to be polite in order to get a hearing):
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir
via this website (English)
Salutation: Your Excellency
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran, 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: Via this website:
First starred box: your given name; second starred box: your family name; third: your email address
Salutation: Your Excellency
And copies to:
Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
His Excellency Mohammad Javad Larijani
Bureau of International Affairs, Office of the Head of the Judiciary, Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: bia.judi@yahoo.com
Fax: + 98 21 5 537 8827
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