Iranian state tv says families of three American hikers have visited them

May 10th, 2010 - 11:53 pm ICT by BNO News  

TEHRAN (BNO NEWS) — The families of three detained American hikers have been allowed to visit them in prison, state television reported on Monday, weeks after a U.S. plea to allow family visits.

The three Americans, Joshua Fattal, 27, Shane Bauer, 27, and Sarah Shourd, 31, were arrested in late July in the western Iranian city of Marivan for illegal entry into the country while hiking in Iraq.

The reports come weeks after the White House and the U.S. State Department urged Iran to release the three Americans, saying they were ‘deeply alarmed’ to learn from families of their physical and emotional state of health.

“We fear their well-being will suffer even more unless their case is resolved without delay,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. “We strongly believe these urgent developments are additional reasons for the government of Iran to release them immediately.”

Gibbs said the three Americans are innocent and are being held without formal charges or access to legal representation as stipulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. “There is absolutely no justification for their detention, and they should be released without further delay,” Gibbs said.

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