U.S. Hikers in Iran Sentenced to 8 Years
Iranian authorities have sentenced two American hikers to eight years in prison for espionage, according to an unnamed source on Iran state television. (more)
Iranian authorities have sentenced two American hikers to eight years in prison for espionage, according to an unnamed source on Iran state television.
The men have been jailed since their arrest along the Iran-Iraq border in July 2009 with a female companion who was later freed. They are said to have 20 days to appeal Saturday’s convictions, which Iranian judicial officials handed down without having publicly presented any evidence. –BF
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...Los Angeles Times:
Their case was tried by a branch of the country’s politically charged Revolutionary Court, which handles national security cases and has been accused of failing to abide by international or even Iranian standards of jurisprudence, especially when it comes to defendants’ rights.
The two men’s lawyer, Massoud Shafei, said he had not been officially informed of any sentence for his clients. He and the two men’s supporters had hoped the men would be freed as a gesture of goodwill during the Islamic holy Month of Ramadan.
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.