Friends And Family In Elkins Park Participate In Hunger Strike In Support Of American Hiker Josh Fattal Jailed In Iran

Friends Fast To Mark Pennsylvania Hiker’s Birthday In Iran

June 4, 2011 1:44 PM

FILE: Josh Fattal appears before a judge in Tehran in Feb. 2011

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Supporters of a hiker from suburban Philadelphia being held in Iran are fasting to protest his second straight birthday behind bars.

Elkins Park resident Josh Fattal turned 29 on Saturday. He and 28-year-old Shane Bauer have been imprisoned in Tehran since July 2009 on espionage charges.

Bauer’s fiancee, Sarah Shourd, was released on bail last year and returned to the United States. Shourd grew up in Los Angeles. Bauer is form Onamia, Minn.
The three say they inadvertently crossed from Iraq into Iran.

Fattal’s family and friends say in a statement they’ll fast Saturday as part of a rolling hunger strike begun by the men’s mothers last month.

The hikers were scheduled to be in court in Tehran on May 11 but didn’t appear. No explanation was given to their families or their Iranian lawyer.

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Friends Fast To Mark Pennsylvania Hikers Birthday In Iran

Tom

Dumb and Dumber! “Hey, Lets go hiking in Iraq/Iran” “sounds good to me lets go”

Tom

I feel bad they are in prision, but you get what you get when you are acting stupid

Michael

I guess no one in his family had the guts or the kahonies to say something like—” hey maybe it’s not a good idea to go hiking in the mountainous regions of the world where americans are HATED”.Arrogant people who make stupid decisions earn their punishment… I have not one bit of sympathy for his or his family’s pain….