A Year Later, No Sign Iran Will Release Hikers
A year after Iranian authorities arrested them along the border with Iraq, no formal charges have been filed against three UC Berkeley graduates accused of spying.
Nora Shourd, Laura Fattal and Cindy Hickey again called for their children's release during a protest Friday at the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York.
The mothers have not heard from Sarah Shourd, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer since Iran granted them a visit in May, spurring hopes for a quick release.
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On that visit, the mothers discovered that Sarah Shourd was being held in solitary confinement, a fact that has weighed heavily on mother Nora ever since.
"On a daily basis, it's about all I can think of," she said during an interview Friday on Good Morning America.
Bauer and Josh Fattal are being held together.
Protests are being planned across the country on Saturday, the one year anniversary of the detention along the Iran – Iraq border. The three claim not to have crossed into Iran and have denied allegations they are spies.
Senator Barbara Boxer has joined several other senators calling for the hikers' release on humanitarian grounds.
A spokesman for the State Department, Eddie Vasquez, said government officials have limited options because the U.S. has no formal diplomatic relations with Iran.
"Our hearts go out to the families. This has been a, as you can imagine, just an awful year for them and for us," he said.
Vasquez said state department officials have been in regular contact with the hikers' families to discuss the case.
