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Mothers Urge Iran's President to Bring US Hikers Home

   VOA News 29 April 2010
   Nora  Shourd,  mother  of Sarah Shourd, looks emotional during a rally
   for  three  hikers held in Iran, in front of Sproul Hall at University
   of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif., 30 Sep 2009 (file photo)

Photo: AP

   Nora  Shourd,  mother  of Sarah Shourd, looks emotional during a rally
   for  three  hikers held in Iran, in front of Sproul Hall at University
   of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif., 30 Sep 2009 (file photo)

   The  mothers  of  the  three  American  hikers  detained  in  Iran are
   appealing  to  Iranian  President  Mahmoud  Ahmadinejad to bring their
   children home on his expected trip to the United States.
   In  a  letter to Mr. Ahmadinejad Thursday, the mothers of Shane Bauer,
   Sarah  Shourd  and Joshua Fattal say the their children are physically
   ill and so devoid of hope they are contemplating a hunger strike.
   The  mothers  call on the Iranian president to ignore political issues
   and board a plane for New York with their children.
   President  Ahmadinejad  has  applied  for  a  visa to visit the United
   States  for  a month-long U.N. nuclear conference that begins Monday.Â
   U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Wednesday the U.S.
   has the responsibility to accept his request. Â
   The three Americans were arrested in Iran on July 31.  Their families
   say they strayed across the border from Iraq's Kurdistan region during
   a hiking trip. Â
   All  three  are  being held in Tehran's Evin prison, but have not been
   formally charged.  Iran has said the hikers will be put on trial, but
   has not given a date. Â
   U.S.  Secretary  of  State Hillary Clinton met with their families for
   the  second time Wednesday and said U.S. officials are working hard to
   obtain their release.
   Also Wednesday, retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu urged Iran to
   release  the  three  Americans  in  a  statement quoted by the hikers'
   families.

   Â

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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