UPDATE: One Year of Detention Events

[Free the Hikers]

Dear Friends and Supporters of Shane, Sarah and Josh,

We write to you angry and frustrated that SSJ’s case is not resolved
after almost a year and they STILL languish in Evin Prison for
absolutely no reason. We are preparing to channel this frustration
into highlighting their ordeal and are organizing a “Weekend of
Action” to mark ONE YEAR OF DETENTION on July 31st.

We need YOU to bring your energy, activism and outrage to highlighting
this terrible milestone as well. Please consider organizing an event
on the one-year marker and do everything to raise your voice to
protest the inhumane way SSJ are being used as political collateral.

This is what we have planned. We hope that you can help!

·A major event in New York City outside the Iranian Mission to the UN
(40th St. and 3rd Ave.) on Friday, July 30th from 12:30-2pm. All three
mothers will attend as well as prominent figures in the human rights
community and others…We will mark the moment when they were detained
at 1:33pm with a moment of silence. We encourage everyone and anyone
to come to this event. This is the only national event and a strong
turnout is critical.

·Events in each of the Hikers’ home states (California, Minnesota and
Pennsylvania). These will take place in Philadelphia - outside of the
Liberty Bell - Duluth and San Francisco (on Sat. July 31st at 12
noon); more details soon.

·We urge all friends and supporters to hold peaceful events to protest
the illegality of SSJ’s detention, to bring as many people as possible
out to those events and to publicize them widely. Events outside
symbols of the Iranian government (embassies and consulates, Iran Air
offices, etc.) are encouraged. International events are particularly
important. The families will continue to decry the illegality of SSJ’s
detention and the fact that Iran is flagrantly using them as pawns in
the political conflict with the US. If you can organize an event
please contact Farah Mawani at farah....@gmail.com so we know about
it and can connect you to other supporters. We encourage you to use
our Facebook site as a means of mobilization.

FACEBOOK LINK: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/FreetheHikers?ref=ts

·We are asking all supporters to wear a white ribbon (a new symbol of
the Free the Hikers campaign) and encourage their friends to do the
same.

·We also encourage everyone to reach out to human rights advocates,
musicians, cultural figures and others to take up the cause of SSJ’s
freedom.

Thank you for all of your support, it is absolutely essential and
gives us the spirit to continue this struggle.

Gratefully,

The Bauer, Shourd and Fattal families


LATEST NEWS

Links available on the website: http://freethehikers.org/?page_id=424

Here are some links to news stories about SSJ’s case over the last six
weeks.
JUN 30 | MOMS OF JAILED U.S. HIKERS APPEAL TO AYATOLLAH—HUFFINGTON
POST
JUN 24 | HIKER MOMS: SHOCKED BY REPORT ON CHILDREN’S ARREST—AP
JUN 24 | WERE THE AMERICAN HIKERS ABDUCTED BY IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY
GUARD?—SALON
JUN 17 | PROSECUTE OR FREE US HIKERS HELD IN IRAN: MOTHERS—ISLAM
TRIBUNE
JUN 17 | MOTHERS OF 3 JAILED AMERICANS SAY IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IS USING
THEIR CHILDREN TO PRESSURE US—FOX NEWS
JUN 17 | خانواده های سه آمریکایی خواهان آزادی آنها شدند—BBC PERSIAN
JUN 16 | BACK FROM IRAN, ELKINS PARK’S LAURA FATTAL WORKS TO GET SON
RELEASED—PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
JUN 13 | CLINTON URGES IRAN TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS—RADIO FREE
EUROPE
JUN 11 | SENIOR IRANIAN OFFICIAL RULES OUT US HIKERS EXCHANGE—AFP
JUN 11 | IRAN EXPECTS TO HOLD TRIAL SOON FOR 3 AMERICANS—AP
JUN 08 | IRAN SAYS WILL NOT SWAP U.S. DETAINEES FOR SCIENTIST—REUTERS
JUN 07 | HIKE IN HONOR OF A BITTERSWEET WEDDING ANNIVERSARY—FOX21
JUN 04 | JOSH FATTAL TURNS 28 IN IRAN PRISON—FOX9
JUN 03 | ACTIVIST MOTHERS URGE RELEASE OF DETAINED HIKERS—KTTC
JUN 02 | “WHAT KIND OF IDIOTS WOULD GO HIKING IN IRAQ?”—HUFFINGTON
POST
MAY 31 | IRANIANS INSIST THERE WILL BE NO DEAL OVER RELEASE OF
AMERICAN HIKERS FROM TEHRAN JAIL—DAILY MAIL
MAY 27 | BRING THEM HOME—EUGENE WEEKLY
MAY 26 | IMPRISONED AMERICANS REACH 300 DAYS IN IRAN—OAKLAND TRIBUNE
MAY 25 | AFTER FIRST REUNION IN 10 MONTHS, MOTHERS OF 3 JAILED US
HIKERS IN IRAN ON VISITING THEIR CHILDREN AND CONTINUING THE FIGHT FOR
THEIR RELEASE—DEMOCRACY NOW