Iranian state TV says families of 3 detained Americans to be allowed to visit them in prison

By AP
Monday, May 10, 2010

Report: Families to visit Americans jailed in Iran

TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian state television channel said Monday that the families of three Americans arrested along the Iraqi border in July will be allowed to visit them in a Tehran prison.

Iran’s English-language Press TV did not say how it obtained the information, adding only that a date for the visit had not yet been set.

The Americans’ families have been told before that they would be granted visas to visit Iran only to find that they did not have the permission.

Iran has accused Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal of illegal border crossing, espionage and having links to U.S. intelligence. Their relatives and the U.S. government have denied the spying accusations.

The families of the three graduates of the University of California at Berkeley say they were hiking in the scenic Kurdistan region of northern Iraq and that if they did cross the border with Iran they did so unintentionally.

Bauer’s mother, Cindy Hickey, and the brother of Fattal, Alex Fattal, said Monday that they heard through an established channel of communication that the Iranian government has issued visas for several family members. Hickey would not elaborate on exactly who told them that they had been issued the visas.

Hickey said, however, that it is the third time the families have heard that in recent weeks “only to not get visas put in our hands.”

Hickey said the families will not solidify travel plans until they take possession of visas and are given a window of time for their trip. But, she said, she and other family members all have suitcases packed and are ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“We’re very cautious about our optimism,” Hickey said. “Emotionally I know I have to be really careful.”

CORRECTS that Alex Fattal is detainee’s brother.

YOUR VIEW POINT
NAME : (REQUIRED)
MAIL : (REQUIRED)
will not be displayed
WEBSITE : (OPTIONAL)
YOUR
COMMENT :