In July 2009 Sara Shourd (32), Shane Bauer (28), and Joshua Fattal (28), all Palestine Solidarity Movement Activists, were on vacation in Iraqi Kurdistan, an autonomous region outside the Iraqi government’s control, when they were detained by Iranian border guards. They were on their way to see the Ahmed Awa waterfall, one of the most popular Kurdish tourist attractions. They continued walking into what they believed to be Iraqi Kurdistan, but what was actually Iran, according to border guards.

All three of the detainees were held in Evin Prison on charges of illegally entering Iran and suspicion of espionage, though even President Ahmadinejad hoped the hikers would be able to prove their innocence of espionage. Bauer was the only one of the three that spoke fluent Arabic; the other hikers could not communicate with authorities.

Shourd was released on a $500,000 bail in September 2010 after nearly 400 days of imprisonment and being denied treatment for serious health concerns, including a breast lump and precancerous cervical cells. Ahmadinejad was reported as personally intervening in Shroud’s case in order to get her released in to U.S. custody.

Despite the hikers’ incarceration, Shourd became engaged to Bauer, and even made an engagement ring out of fabric from the T-shirt he was wearing when the three were detained.

The incident grabbed the attention of leaders, activists, and celebrities worldwide. President Obama, along with many others including Muhammad Ali and Ashton Kutcher, called for their release of the detainees on the grounds of inhumane treatment and a lack of evidence. The U.S. has neither an embassy nor any formal diplomatic relations with Iran, thus Swiss officials acted as the only intermediary between the hikers and Iranian authorities in order to evaluate their treatment.

Despite hope that the hikers could prove their own innocence, last month Bauer, who grew up in Minnesota, and Fattal were each convicted on all charges and sentenced to eight years of prison: three for the illegal entry and five for espionage. Their Iranian attorney, Masoud Shafei, though happy that the sentence was not more severe, said that “their sentence was not consistent with the charges,” as spying usually carries a death sentence in Iran.

On September 21st Omanian and Swiss officials negotiated a release for Bauer and Fattal, and, according to CNN reports, even paid their $1 million bail. “You can state officially now that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has handled Shane and Josh to the custody of… the Sultan of Oman, a country that enjoys excellent relationships with both the IRI and the USA… The hikers are now on their way to Muscat, [the capital of Oman], where they will spend a couple of days before heading home,” a statement from Oman’s envoy in Iran said. Oman, a country on the southeast edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has long-standing political and military ties to the U.S stepped in aid the two prisoners.

The families of the two hikers issued this statement following the release:

“Today can only be described as the best day of our lives. We have waited for nearly 26 months for this moment and the joy and relief we feel at Shane and Josh’s long-awaited freedom knows no bounds. At the same time, our deep gratitude extends to many, many others, from governments, institutions and noted campaigners to tens of thousands of people around the world. Our appreciation for the warmth and love of our fellow human beings is unending and we know that Shane and Josh will always be grateful.”

The release of the two detainees came with requests from Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi for Washington to release Iranian prisoners held in the U.S. Moslehi focused on 11 Iranian citizens whom Iran claims have been taken in to U.S. custody or kidnapped by the American government. Though the U.S. has made no formal response to these requests, it seems very unlikely that these detainees will be released soon. According to Department of Defense reports, this list includes several prisoners suspected of illegal arms dealings in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, a prisoner tied to the Iranian nuclear weapons program, and simply defected Iranian citizens who do not wish to return to Iran.

Though there has not been any evidence to suggest that these 11 prisoners have been convicted of any crime or are even awaiting trial soon, it brings up some questions: Is the U.S. government treating Iranian prisoners in a similar fashion as the hikers released from Iran? Are we infringing on prisoners unalienable rights – something we accused Iran of doing in this instance?

The hikers detained in Iran obviously broke the law by illegally entering a foreign country, which is something they deserved punishment for in their own country, as there was clear evidence of that crime, but their case reflected more about Iranian-American relations than anything.

Certainly there is animosity on both sides; Islamaphobia – a term generally applied to both Muslims and people of a Middle Eastern descent in America and a general mistrust of Americans in Iran (due to differing views on imperialism and interventionism, amongst others). If our government can detain, perhaps even kidnap, Iranians for indefinite amounts of time in military tribunals and other facilities, who is to say that Iran cannot do the same with its American detainees? Iran must secure and protect its people, just as any other country.

Interestingly enough, the hikers were released just one week before President Ahmadinejad’s U.N. address, amid praise from many world leaders for his positive intervention in the matter.

Tags: international, opinion, voices