Families seek word from hikers held in Iran

NEW YORK - Three American hikers detained in Iran are "totally harmless" travelers who carefully planned a trip in Iraq but apparently accidentally ended up crossing the border, their relatives said yesterday.

Joshua Fattal, Shane Bauer, and Sarah Shourd have been held for three weeks, their exact whereabouts unknown. Their relatives are pressing for diplomats to gain access to the three to help arrange their release.

"Right now, I think all anyone can hope for is to be able to talk to them," Bauer's sister Shannon, of Boulder, Colo., said in an interview as the families unveiled a Web site with information about the case. The site is http://freethehikers.org/

The three have been in custody since they entered Iran from Iraq without authorization July 31. Their case has become the latest source of friction between the United States and Iran, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appealing for their release.

U.S. officials and authorities in Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region say the backpackers crossed the poorly marked border by mistake while visiting a scenic part of Iraq.

Iran's state television has said they were arrested after disregarding border guards' warnings. A prominent Iranian lawmaker has said authorities were investigating whether to charge them with espionage - an allegation the State Department and the families have dismissed.

"We know who our siblings are, so we're not particularly concerned about that," Fattal's brother, Alex, said in an interview. They are, he said, curious about the world and "totally harmless." The Fattal family lives in Elkins Park.

Alex Fattal, Shannon Bauer, and Shourd's brother, Chris Rapp, said the three had planned the trip carefully and told relatives beforehand that they were heading for a scenic part of Iraq - not Iran.

"There was no hint or inkling that there was the slightest intention of going to Iran," Alex Fattal said.

The families said the three experienced travelers were visiting an area famous for a waterfall that draws tourists. Friends had told them "that this was a beautiful area and a safe area," Rapp said.

Shane Bauer, 27, is a freelance journalist. He and Shourd, 31, had been living in Damascus, Syria. She teaches English.

Joshua Fattal, 27, went to visit them after traveling overseas on a teaching fellowship with the International Honors Program from January to June.