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Family Confirms US Hiker's Arrest in Iran

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 2, 2009 6:02 AM CDT

(Newser) – The mother of one of the three Americans detained while hiking near the Iran-Iraq border confirmed that her son has been arrested by Iranian security forces, reports CNN. Joshua Fattal of Pennsylvania and two friends, who were warned by Iraqi police not to hike in the border region, were seized Friday afternoon. The fourth American in the group, who stayed behind at the group's Iraqi hotel, is now at the US embassy in Baghdad.

A State Department spokesman told reporters that he has instructed the Swiss embassy in Tehran—which represents American interests, since the US has no diplomatic representation in Iran—to seek access to the hikers. Authorities in Iraq's Kurdish region have also attempted to mediate.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

The three Americans arrested on Friday were hiking near the Iran-Iraq border. (Getty Images)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (AP Photo/ISNA,Amin Khosroshahi)

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When they told me that they are planning to go to Ahmed Awa, I told them, 'Don't go there because it is unsafe for you because you're American and Ahmed Awa is very close to the Iranian border.' - Mudhafer Mohammed, owner of the Iraq inn where the three arrested Yanks stayed

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 6 comments

Kookey90

Aug 3, 2009 1:04 AM CDT

Sorry, but with everything else going on in this world, I have no pity for these fools. It's the ole get arrested in a foreign country and wait for the U.S. government to bail you out.

gabo

Aug 2, 2009 12:08 PM CDT

Cross these three off the brain donor list.

jagerhans

Aug 2, 2009 11:43 AM CDT

since U.S. have death penalty I'll never be going to visit the states: I don't like visiting countries that reserve the right to kill me if they think it's good for them. So to me it's totally weird that a US citizen chooses such a place to go hiking. Next year? long excursions deep into the tribal territories of Afghanistan ?

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