MINNEAPOLIS – two American hikers held in Iran families have made countless TV appearances, enlisted celebrities for Help, and even traveled to Tehran to keep the men in the spotlight. Their latest tactic: the hunger strike, that even they acknowledge is a desperate measure.
None of you have made to the work of the Government of Iran is not yet in the nearly two years after a painful divorce.
"The members of the family, we have you in the light of the Wicked and we can get down, financially, physically, in to," said Cindy Hickey of Pine City, Minn., Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal, who has been held in 21 months with the mother. "We've all suffer from this. It is a very desperate. "
Fattal, Bauer and Bauer, Sarah Shourd have girlfriend, was arrested in Iraq-Iran border area in July 2009 and on espionage charges which the applicants deny that. The possibility of returning to the United States was Shourd measures last year. Iranian officials ordered her back to Tehran at the end of the trial version, but he refused.
Hickey and Fattal: mother, Laura Fattal suburban Philadelphia, began their hunger strike on Thursday. They said it was their sons, who they believe are also on strike, the famine in Iran because they have done before solidarity. However, the mothers said they do not know for sure, because independent observers have been refused access to the men.
Suzanne Maloney, the Brookings Institution expert in Iranian Affairs, Washington, said he doubted whether the hunger strike would be the effect of "if only because Tehran has had many opportunities to make humanitarian gestures, dramatic, and yet is still in the possession of these young men really unjustified payments."
He said the Iranian Government will use the bargaining chip as the men in prison and has not yet been willing to cash it in. "." is an Iranian political instrument, and they try to extract a price for it, "he said. "Just imagine the frustration the families."
Hickey, and Laura Fattal spoken with their sons for almost six months and the video of them since Feb nShny. 6, when the men, and 28 to the mark before the Court. "We saw the movie and I have seen I like," Hickey said. "Been very eager, thin, white, gray, and entitlement to death grants acquired under the eyes."
The trial was scheduled to resume on May 11, but the men did the Court of Justice and no explanation is given to the families or their lawyers to Tehran. Hickey said, without the facts of the case, it is difficult to expect the worst.
"Are they being treated lentäjiensä? There are things they want to trade marks, for us to see? "he said."A few months after one of the questions are, they are still alive? That is the deepest, darkest fear, that I push back on a regular basis. "
Teheran, by Masoud Shafiei, hikers, told the Associated Press on Thursday that he wrote earlier this week two of the prisoners themselves and seeking access to the Swiss Ambassador Livia Leu Agosti, who represents Us interests in Iran, in the absence of direct diplomatic relations with the judiciary.
"Unfortunately, so far, the response was," he said.
Laura Fattal, said he worries what will the men when they get off the shape. "We are particularly frightened little mental and physical health," he said. "Thank God they have each other."
One of the hunger strike comes to Hickey and Fattal-50th anniversary: the visit to Tehran, they personally have seen their husbands, the arrest warrant from 31 August to 7 September 2001. July 2009 onwards only once. Two women say they drink only water; When they feel they cannot continue to turn it From Shourd. other family members and supporters of the strike continues, Fattal said.
"We do not know what will happen," said Fattal. "We hope to correct every time for Iran."
Hikers say they were Kurdish northern region of Iraq and that Iranian crossing was inadvertent. They deny the espionage charges.
In view of the fact that the three were arrested, their families, have been a number of interviews and access to the web, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to 26,000 followers. These efforts have led to coordinated dozens of vigils in countries at the same time. Supporters have produced documents, short films, Shane, Josh and Sarah and video pleas Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, and Muhammad Ali to release information.
President Barack Obama, the families have received support letters, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, said the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, an anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and others. Thousands of people have signed petitions in their network. Was in the peace conference in London to raise awareness of travel.
Alex, Josh Fattal's older brother, said the effort is paid mostly small donations made through the http://www.freethehikers.org, and smaller events throughout the country, such as works of art auction in San Francisco in January.
Associated Press Writer Nasser Karimi contribute to this report, Tehran
