USA: Protesters mark the one year anniversary of the detention of three American hikers in Iran

Record ID: 313669

  • Title: USA: Protesters mark the one year anniversary of the detention of three American hikers in Iran
  • Date: 31st July 2010
  • Summary: TENT WITH SIGN READING "365 DAYS" SIGN READING "365 DAYS" WOMAN HOLDING SIGN READING "1 YEAR UNJUST DETAINMENT" GROUP OF PROTESTERS IN THE STREET
  • Embargoed: 15th August 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAE9E78LNT8T7RLR5EROLSTJ7EA
  • Story Text: The mothers of three American hikers who are being detained in Iran held a protest in Midtown Manhattan on Friday (July 30).
    Cindy Hickey, Nora Shourd and Laura Fattal, along with a couple dozen family members, friends and supporters held a rally outside the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations to mark the one year anniversary of the detainment of their children.
    Iran has no diplomatic relations with the United States and U.S. interests in Tehran are handled by the Swiss embassy.
    "The place where we are here today, if people are not aware, is the Iranian mission, which is the closest we can get to speaking with someone in the Iranian government directly, and that is why we are here today. It's been very frustrating for us all along to not be able to talk to someone who is directly responsible for holding our kids. This is as close as we can get, but we are knocking on the door symbolically here," said Nora Shourd, the mother of detained American hiker Sarah Shourd.
    "We really know no more today than we did July 31, 2009 about their case. That's what's outrageous," said Cindy Hickey, mother of Shane Bauer.
    Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27, have been in an Iranian prison since July 31, 2009 when they say they strayed over the border while hiking in the mountains of northern Iraq.
    "Our kids are being incarcerated for no reason, and for a year, so that is an outrageous, as Cindy said, ridiculous, unnecessary, and unethical detention," said Laura Fattal, mother of Josh Fattal.
    "We want the Iranians to see this for what it is. It's not a political issue. Release our kids," demanded Cindy Hickey.
    The mothers of the three U.S. detainees visited their children in May. They said they were being treated well but had had no access to a lawyer.
    The three have not been charged with any crime, although Iran's intelligence minister says the three are spies.
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