Shane Bauer

This is a slideshow of Shane Bauer, one of the hikers, along with Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal, who has been detained in Iran since July 31, 2009, when news reports say they accidentally crossed an unmarked border during a hiking trip in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. They were in a peaceful region of Iraq that is increasingly popular with Western tourists.

Shane Bauer, 27, has been living in Damascus, Syria with Sarah Shourd since late 2008 and is a student of Arabic, which he speaks fluently. He is a freelance journalist whose writing and award-winning photographs have been published in the US, UK, Middle East, and Canada. Shane, who has two younger sisters, grew up in Onamia, Minnesota and graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies in 2007. Shane has reported from Syria, Iraq, Darfur in Sudan, Yemen and Ethiopia but has never reported from Iran, nor expressed any interest in doing so. He had hoped to offer photographs and a story on the aftermath of recent elections in Kurdistan to the online news network New America Media, but was not on a formal news assignment.

The three young Americans, all graduates of the University of California at Berkeley, are believed to be held in the Iranian capital, Tehran. They have not been charged with any crime, have had no contact with their families, and have not been granted their right to consular access.

Shane, Josh and Sarah care greatly about the world. They admire and respect different cultures and religions and share a love of travel that has taken them to many countries. Thats why they went to Kurdistan, not because they wanted to enter Iran.

The families and friends of the three hikers created this site to tell the story of Shane, Josh and Sarah and keep the world informed about their situation.

We hope the Iranian authorities understand that theres just one reason why our children and friends happened to be in Iran: because they made a regrettable mistake and got lost. Please let them return home as soon as possible.

For more information about the hikers and how you can help secure their release, please visit:
http://www.freethehikers.org

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[jasonthemankiller]

They are spys .

[salmondan]

Thank you for sharing. You remain in my thoughts and prayers.

[ceamean]

دل مردم ایران با شماست. ایرانی از ظلم بیزار است.

free the hikers

[meatwad128]

my names shane bauer toooo!!!!!!!!

[mollyrogue]

It is truly disgusting to see some of the comments on here and incredible how negative people can be while knowing so little. I guess that's what ignorance does to people.

[pmms71]

America won't forget about you. I pray for the safe return of these innocent Americans who represent the best and brightest of our young people.

[synthesizerX]

Shane,

I wish that you come out. You were and still one of my best friends.

Your friend from Yemen and Germany Anis.